Coming of Age
by tonystarktheautobot
Summary: Amy knew nothing about her father, except that he had something to do with these "Team Rocket" people. Determined to find answers, Amy and her Pokemon friends go on a hunt for the elusive criminal organization. Along the way, they meet all kinds of people and Pokemon, including one whose DNA is a mix of both. Novelization of PKMN: LG/FR. Mewtwo/OC
1. Pallet Town to Route 3

_Look at me, just starting new stories left and right. I should really learn how to finish one thing. *sighs*_

_This is actually a project I started long ago on my old fanfiction site (in case you recognize Amy the Pokemon Trainer and Ryan the Squirtle). Since then, I've revamped the story, written a lot more, and I think it's quite improved._

_Basically this is how I see the first Pokemon game and how it happened. Stays true to canon in most ways, but it will diverge dramatically at times. Includes some of the Anime, including Ash, though Amy never really knew him, as he was a bit younger than her._

* * *

There were no pictures of Amy's father in the house.

If he existed, he was somewhere far away; and sometimes, Amy had a hard time even believing he existed at all. As silly as it might have been, she wondered if maybe she never had a dad, and it was always just her and mom, since the beginning. She asked her mother if that were true, and her only answer was a sad smile, and a quick glance away as tears sprung to her mother's eyes.

But it was okay, that she didn't have a father. She had Prof. Oak, who was as good as any dad. He was always around, visiting on weekends, staying for dinner, letting Amy tag along to see his lab, where all the Pokémon were. His grandson, Gary, was often there too, though Amy didn't like him as much. He was a little brat, always making faces and calling her names. She was eight the first time their little rivalry escalated into a scuffle in the road, and they had to be pulled apart by Mr. Daniel's Machoke.

"Why's he such a jerk?" Amy had asked her mother that night, after a somewhat gentle scolding, when she was being patched up. Her little scrapes and bruises didn't hurt so bad as the ache somewhere inside, that she felt whenever she looked at him, the only other kid her age in town, who hated her guts.

"I think he's jealous, sweetheart. He loves his grandpa quite a lot."

"Well, can't he share?" The girl scoffed.

Amy's mother glanced up. "Gary's lost both his parents sweetie. I think he's afraid of losing anyone else."

"… Oh."

She was a little kinder to him, then, though her kindness stretched only so far. There were only so many times she could take being told she smelled and was a stupid face.

On the whole, Amy had an idyllic childhood. Pallet Town was an easy-going, peaceful town, with quiet streets and long stretches of wilderness spread about. Amy spent her youth exploring those fields, dress and shoes muddied, knees covered in grass stains. Sometimes she was a Pokémon Professor, discovering new creatures at the water's edge; sometimes, a Master Trainer, taking on new challenges beneath the trees lining Pallet's roadsides.

Seasons turned, the days darkened, and Amy came to her fourteenth year. Once, she saw a glimpse of her mother, kneeling in front of her closet, hugging a shirt to her chest. She watched from the safety of the hall as she smelt it, as if revering it, before lifting it away. Amy caught sight of black fabric, with a red "R" on the front, before it was tucked away.

She spent more time with Prof. Oak at the labs, constantly asking questions of him about the Pokémon he cared for. More and more, he would offer to let her participate in his explorations, following after him on little trips to Viridian City, walking behind him in tall grass, looking for Pokémon. She was there while he tinkered with the first versions of the Pokedex. She was constantly underfoot and the delight of the lab aides.

Then came the day every child in Kanto anxiously awaited: her eighteenth birthday.

* * *

"Okay, listen up," Amy started, facing the mirror. "You have to pay very close attention because this is extremely, crucially important, and vital to my success as a Pokemon trainer."

Behind her, sitting on her bed, her mother rolled her eyes.

"Right, then." Nodding, Amy lifted her hands. "White hat or black hat?"

"You know, I'm pretty sure your future as a trainer really doesn't hang on how you look."

"Of course it does." The girl insisted, as she placed first one, then the other of the two hats on her head. "No one will take me seriously if I don't look the part!"

"And what part is that exactly?"

"The best trainer in the whole of Kanto." With a final nod, Amy put the white hat on her head, tossed the other side, and turned round. "So?" Lifting her arms, she smiled. "How do I look?"

A warm expression, lit up by a smile, came to her mother's face. "Wonderful, dear. Now you'd better hurry! I'm sure Prof. Oak's waiting for you."

"Right!" Nodding, Amy turned to the door, only to turn right back around. "Bag, where's my bag?" She found it on the bed, slipped it on, and went for the door again – then stopped midway there. "Shoes. Those are important."

"Tell me you aren't going to spend an hour choosing those!"

"Nope," She went to her closet, kneeling and taking hold of a simple pair of running shoes. "In this case, comfort beats style." Once she slipped them on, she took to the door, calling out a fond farewell as she barreled down the stairs. "Bye, mom! I'll stop by before I head out of town!"

"You'd better!" Her mother called, still sitting on the bed. She heard the front door slam shut, but remained where she was, waiting. Not a minute later, the door opened again, feet came pounding up the stairs, and Amy burst back into her room.

"Forgot my wallet!" She explained, picking it up off the corner of her desk before tucking it into her pocket.

"Put that into your bag before you lose it!" Mom called out, standing to follow her daughter to the door. The girl only laughed.

"Bye mom!"

* * *

It was quite the busy day; the day she finally came of age, and was allowed to start her Pokémon journey. It wasn't easy, to say the least. For all her dreaming of the day she'd finally leave Pallet Town, Amy found it was rather harder to do in reality. She would actually miss this place. It wasn't much, but it was home, and the thought of being gone for a year or more did bring a few tears to her eyes. But her excitement and jubilation overwhelmed her melancholy, and by the time Amy was standing in Prof. Oak's lab, about to pick her first Pokémon, she was thrilled.

"I know exactly who I'll pick!" Amy exclaimed as she hopped over to the table with the three Pokeballs. "I've thought about it a lot, and though it was really, really hard, I am absolutely certain now."

"Oh?" Prof. Oak cocked an eyebrow. "Well, then, who do you pick?"

"Squirtle!" She cheered, picking up the ball and clasping it to her chest. "Because Squirtle is absolutely the cutest one."

Sputtering laughter interrupted Amy. "Trust a girl to pick a Pokémon because it's _cute_." Gary scoffed. Approaching the table, he nabbed a ball. "Well, I pick this one because it's the strongest, like a good trainer should!"

"Today is a good day, so I won't punch you for that." Though she was truly itching to. "And it's not the strongest! It's just got a type advantage on me, because you're a vindictive ass –"

"Now, now!" Prof. Oak came between them, chuckling anxiously. "As Amy said, today is a good day! Let's not spoil it with any silly childhood rivalries."

His words had basically no effect; and within a minute, the teens were battling it out. _At least it's with Pokemon this time_, Prof. Oak thought to himself, rubbing his brow. He'd had enough of breaking up their squabbles to last a lifetime.

_Some time away from home – and each other – will do them both good. _He thought. And, when Amy won, a little smirk came to his lips. _ And a little lesson in humility might serve him good, too!_

* * *

She was on the road within an hour; and by lunchtime, she was standing just at the city limits, looking out over the grassy fields with a bitter mix of awe and sadness. Her fists clenched at her side, she stood motionless on the road, just before Route 1, looking out at the vastness of it all with her heart pounding in her throat.

A trembling hand lifted to her belt, and she removed the Pokeball there. She tossed it; shining light revealed her new friend, whom she had christened Ryan. Gary had made fun of her for that, for nick-naming her Pokémon, but she couldn't understand why he didn't do it. Ryan wasn't just a Squirtle, he was her friend, (at least, she hoped he would be), and she couldn't just go around calling him 'Squirtle' all the time.

Looking at him, Amy felt more nerves fluttering in her chest.

"Hi," She said roughly, a weak grin on her face. Ryan cocked his head to the side, then waved. "See, here's the thing. I know I adopted you and I made all these big claims about becoming the world's greatest Pokémon trainer, but the thing is – I don't know that I can do it? And maybe I should just go home and rethink this whole –"

"Amy!"

Girl and Pokémon both spun to look at the speaker – Amy's mother, Hannah, who was running down the road towards them. "Amy!" The woman came up to her, huffing and puffing, and lightly smacked her shoulder. "You said you'd stop by before you left!"

"Oops." The girl winced. "I forgot."

Her mom smirked, as if she knew she had, and then reached into her pocket. "I wanted to give you this, before you left." She lifted her hand, and revealed a necklace.

Amy squinted at it. "What is it?" She took it from her mother's hand gently, then lifted it up to get a closer look. "Looks like one of those cheap pearls you find on the beach all time."

"Yes, I know, it's nothing much," Hannah admitted. "But your father gave it to me."

Amy's eyes snapped up. "Dad?"

Hannah nodded. "He hand-carved it, see?" She pointed to the little Pokeball hanging from the silver chain. "Gave it to me a few years before you were born, when we first started dating."

The young girl looked back to the little charm, and it danced in her vision as water blurred her eyes. "Why are you giving me this now?"

"Well," She shrugged. "I suppose I should have spoken to you of him sooner, but it always seemed so hard. And, well, there were reasons to wait. I kept telling myself you weren't ready. But then, I realized, you're an adult now, going on your own journey, and you deserve to know." Mother and daughter looked to one another, each with somber eyes, and Hannah gave another unsure shrug. "If you want, we could talk about him. You could leave in the morning?"

"No, I – I don't think I'll do this if I go back home now." The girl gave a nervous laugh. "How about – when I get back?" She asked. "When I'm a big, bad trainer, who's taken on the whole world, then we can talk about… him." After a moment's hesitation, her mother nodded.

A chirrup noise interrupted them both, and their eyes were drawn to the Pokémon standing before them. "Oh!" She'd almost forgotten about Ryan standing there so quietly. "Almost forgot. Mom, this is Ryan. Ryan, Mom."

His bright big eyes were looking steadily at the necklace. He gestured to it, then to his neck, as if he were putting it on. "You think I should wear it?" He nodded fervently. Amy glanced at her mother, and with some hesitation, placed it around her neck.

"Here, let me," Hannah stepped behind her, closing the clasp, then came round to look at her. "Perfect." She smiled. "Now you're ready. I know you'll be great, sweetheart."

Amy met her eyes, put as much confidence and mirth as she could into a bright grin, and tried to believe her mother's words for herself. "I'm certainly going to try." She said. Then she looked to Ryan. "You ready?" The Squirtle chirped happily, which Amy took for a yes. "Then, let's go. We can't hang around here all day."

They both began to walk; Amy took one last look back, at the sleepy little town she'd lived in all her life, at her mother's thin figure against the horizon. She waved to her, and watched her wave back, before she became a small dot in the distance. Then, with much more reluctance than she would readily admit, Amy turned away, looked to the north, and kept walking.

* * *

The first destination on her adventure was a little bit, well, boring.

There wasn't much to see, or do. In fact, other than running an errand for the PokeMart which had her darting all the way back to Pallet Town (where she pointedly avoided her mother), there was nothing to do in Viridian City. There was an empty, dilapidated gym, unused for what seemed like years, and that was all.

But then, she wasn't in much of a state of mind to do anything, after all. The shock of hearing her mother actually speak of her father for the first time in her life had her reeling. More than that, the fact that she could, if she so desired, actually know _who_ he was, and maybe even where he was, that was… mind blowing. Something she'd hardly dreamt of.

Part of her desperately wanted to turn tail and go home, if only to know the truth. (Another part wanted to go home because this was the most terrifying thing she'd ever done in her life!) And yet, she really didn't want to know, not at all (and she didn't want to go home, not yet). The indecision and warring emotions tore at her heart until she was sitting on the grassy ground of the Viridian Forest, moving neither backward or forward, lamenting her fate.

"This is ridiculous!" Amy shouted at the sky, banging her head back against the tree she was leaning on. Ryan, sitting against her thigh, looked up when she spoke. "All I've ever wanted to be was a Pokemon trainer. And all I've ever wanted was to know who my dad is!" Sighing, she let her head hang forward, her hat slipping off onto her lap. "How can I choose between them? I mean, what if this is my only chance? What if she changes her mind? Or –" A sharp gasp ripped out of her throat. "What if the worst happens and mom _dies_ while I'm away and I'll never see her again and I'll never hear the truth all because I was off on this stupid journey and –"

A splash of water across her face silenced the girl. Blinking, Amy glanced down at Ryan, nodded, and whispered a dry "Thank you." Ryan chirped. The Squirtle looked as cheerful as ever, despite his trainer's dilemma, and that brought a whole new bundle of worries to Amy's mind. "You must think I'm horrible. What bad luck for you, huh, that you got me for a trainer?" Ryan frowned at that, crossed his little arms and shook his head. "You don't?" He smiled, and gave her a thumbs up. "Well." Amy gave a wry chuckle. "At least I have your confidence."

A rustle in the grass drew both their attentions; Amy glanced up, and spied above the foliage a little horn. She moved to kneel, trying to get a better look, and caught sight of a Pokémon.

"Oh my gosh!" Amy squealed, reaching for her Pokedex. "Our first wild Pokémon!" Ryan seemed excited too, moving to sit in Amy's lap as she aimed the device. "Okay, who are you, buddy…" The little worm creature appeared on the screen, and was revealed to be, "Weedle. Aw, you're really cute."

Her voice caught its attention. When Amy glanced back up, the bug Pokemon was cowering in the grass, looking almost afraid of her. The fact that it was shocked her, and Amy stopped when she'd already been halfway reaching for a Pokeball. Beside her, Ryan moved off her lap, appearing to be preparing itself for battle, waiting for her orders…

But the Weedle just seemed so scared…

Sighing, Amy put the ball back, and sank against the tree. She took one of the cubes of food out of Ryan's dish, and reached out with it towards the Weedle. "You hungry, little guy?" She asked quietly. The fear turned to trepidation as the creature cocked its head. It reminded her very much of how Ryan had done the same when they first spoke, and fondness warmed her heart. "It's okay. We're not going to hurt you."

By the time they left Viridian Forest, Amy had a Weedle named Darling perched on her shoulder.

* * *

"I have a very important question for you," Amy told the nurse at the Pokemon Center. "I really need to know: is there any way to keep Pokemon from evolving?"

"Um, well," The nurse began, a bit taken aback. "I believe there are. Though most trainers want their Pokémon to evolve to become stronger."

"Why should these two ever evolve?" Amy scoffed, gesturing to Darling and Ryan. "They're both so damned cute."

The nurse gave her a look, and walked away.

The girl sighed, turning to her friends. "Well, guess I'll worry about that later." When she looked at them, they were both giving her looks of their own. "What? You are cute. _Frickin'_ cute."

They left the center, stepping out into the midday sun shining down on Pewter City. It had been a long, frustrating trek through the forest, with a plethora of adolescent boys with nets constantly bugging her – ha, _bugging_ her – to battle. But they had made it through, and gotten stronger, and the success had bolstered Amy's faltering confidence somewhat.

Maybe they could do this. And then, when all was said and done, she could go home, and have that conversation with her mother when she was ready.

"So, should we challenge the gym?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips. "Or we could take a break. Check out the museum?"

She was in the midst of thinking on this when a voice nearby caught her ear. "Mt. Moon? You're certain?" Amy turned; a man in a trench coat stood just outside the Pokémon Center, speaking fervently into a phone. "Team Rocket is there?"

It was – strange, but she didn't pay much attention to it. It wasn't her business. So, after taking a moment to talk it over with her team, the three of them went to the Pewter City Gym.

* * *

She'd had the badge for more than a day, and Amy could still hardly believe it. Looking down at the glimmering silver sitting in her palm, she grinned. Then she closed her hand around it and punched the sky. "We did it!" She cheered, before lifting her hand to help balance Darling, who'd slid from her shoulder somewhat at her sudden movement. "Sorry."

The three of them were heading towards the next town, walking along towards Mt. Moon. The battle for her first badge had been easier than she'd anticipated. But then, with Ryan having learned Water Gun, she'd had quite the advantage over Brock. Hopefully such advantages would continue to be useful as they traveled through the rock-Pokémon infested mountain.

Before entering the mountain, the three camped at its base, sharing a fire and a meal in the afternoon.

"This is – good," Amy said reluctantly, eying her travel meal she'd bought in Pewter City. "It almost tastes like food, even." Scowling, she set it aside, and let out a sigh as she leaned forward on her knees. "They always talk about the fun and the glory of adventuring. Somehow they forget to mention the sore muscles and bad food."

She glanced to Ryan and Darling; neither of them seemed upset about their meals. Both were digging in cheerfully. Chuckling, she smiled. "At least y'all are eating well." Then she stood and stretched. If she wasn't going to eat – and to be honest she wasn't sure she could stomach eating that thing that barely passed for a _meal_ – she might as well do something. So she started away from camp, into the tall grass, just for something to do.

That's where she almost stepped on a little Nidoran. It repaid her in kind with a little jab of its tiny horn.

"Yeowch!" Amy fell back onto the ground, grabbing at her leg, glaring at the little creature. "Hey! What was that for?" She eyed her leg, where luckily the spine hadn't broken skin, it had only bruised her. "That could've been pretty bad." Still frowning, she looked up, and suddenly it hit her that she was looking at a Pokémon she hadn't seen before. "Oh!"

Snatching her Pokedex out of her pocket, she identified the little pink creature, who was still growling and glaring at her, hunched down on the ground. "Look, I'm sorry I almost stepped on you, okay? I'll make it up to you. You hungry?"

It still looked mighty suspicious, but at the mention of food, the Nidoran perked up considerably. With a little more cajoling, the creature followed her to camp, and in time, was eating out of a food bowl as happily as the rest.

"Forget Pokeballs," the girl said with a cheerful smile. "Food is the way to a Pokémon's heart. My heart too, now that I think of it." And with forlorn eyes she glanced at her own dinner, and gave a sad little sigh.

* * *

Mt. Moon wasn't too hard a challenge; there were plenty of trainers itching to fight, most of them easily taken down by water. But Henry, the Nidoran, showed his colors, too, and gave a few trainers a good fight. The trek itself was no fun, as the mountain was only more uncomfortable and rough than the terrain outside, and sleeping within it was no picnic. It was wet, and damp, and cold, and dark, and by the end of the first day's travel Amy was more than ready to see the sky again.

"Damn this horrid place!" She scowled and kicked a nearby rock. The rock growled at her. "Aie!" Jumping away, Amy watched in stunned horror as the rock unfurled into a Geodude. "Oops! Uh, sorry? I really have to stop running into Pokémon this way."

The Geodude scowled, and went on the offensive immediately. Amy clenched her fists, and glanced to Ryan. "Ready?" The Squirtle nodded, and leapt forward. "Water Gun!" In no time, the Geodude was blasted right in the face with a burst of water, and collapsed back onto the ground. Amy eyed it for a moment, regretful, and then glanced at her belt. For half a second she considered using one of the many unused Pokeballs she still had – but she didn't.

"Look, I'm sorry about that, it was an honest mistake!" She told the fainted creature. Wincing, she glanced at her friends, and nodded to the side, and they followed her as she moved away. She came up to a turn in the path, and came to a sudden halt there. Ryan bumped into her leg, and rubbing his nose, let out a whine. "Shush!" Amy glanced down at him, then pointed around the corner. All three Pokémon crawled up to its edge.

Down the path, lights had been strung from the ceiling, bright glaring fluorescents; and further down, she could see people filling up the cave, some with shovels, some with much larger mining equipment, and they were making quite a ruckus. The only reason she hadn't heard them before she saw them was because the Geodude had distracted her.

Amy wondered who could be mining Mt. Moon, and for what, when she caught sight of one of the miner's uniforms: black pants and shirt, with a big red "R". Her heart leapt into her throat just as her eyes widened.

"Hey, guys," She whispered, looking down at her friends. All three looked up to her as one.

"How do you feel about finding out what they're up to?"

* * *

The people in the black and red uniforms were not very forthcoming when asked about what they were doing. In fact, they were downright aggressive about it, each one challenging her to a match when she so much as asked who they were. Once they lost, most turned tail and ran, and Amy hardly got anything out of them. The further into the mountain they went, the more of those people they found, but still, Amy couldn't seem to discover anything about them.

"This is getting frustrating," The girl huffed, crossing her arms. She was nowhere near close to learning anything about them, and the path through Mt. Moon was coming to a close. She could even see the light of the other side, as the entrance to Cerulean City gaped open before them.

The light was suddenly cut in half by a figure stepping before it, then another. Amy knelt to the ground quickly, then clamored forward, her Pokémon following suit. They came close as they could without being seen, and Amy could make out another black uniform, and a scientist.

"We've only found two of them. There's nothing else left!"

"Just two? He's not going to be very happy about this…"

Amy watched the two speak, irritation and impatience boiling under her skin, before she gritted her teeth and stood, approaching them. "Who are you?" She demanded, coming to a halt a few feet away. Ryan, Henry, and Darling came to stand at her side. "And what are you doing here?"

"So, you're the one who's been interrupting our plans."

"I'm not trying to interrupt anything, I just want answers!"

"Stay out of the way kid. You're meddling in things you don't understand."

That was exactly it – she didn't understand. She didn't understand why she had to grow up with emptiness in her life and a shadow over her shoulder without as much as a name to cling to. She didn't understand why even asking where her father was, who he was, what happened to him, made her mother walk away fighting bitter tears. She didn't understand why her mother treasured an old black and red shirt but kept it hidden, tucked away, and she didn't understand who these people were, or what they were doing, or what they had to do with the man she'd never known.

But she was going to find out.

* * *

Neither trainer put up much of a fight. Maybe that was because Amy was right and truly pissed, and channeled her anger into the battle, and her team fed upon it and fought tenaciously. Maybe they were just piss-poor trainers. But by the end of it, the man in black had fled, and the scientist had tried to as well, but Amy and her team cornered him before he could try.

"Wait, wait!" Scrambling back on the ground frantically, the scientist held up his hands. "You don't have to do this! We can share!"

She had no idea what the man thought she was going to do, but she used it. "Share what? For god's sake, just tell me who you are."

"You really don't know?" The man chuckled. "You truly are a naïve kid." The girl bristled at that, and the man's fear escalated again. "We're Team Rocket! We were in Mt. Moon to dig for fossils of ancient Pokemon, but we only found two. Here, you – you can have one! Just let me go!"

Stunned, Amy watched as the man tossed a rock her way, and she just barely caught it in time. In the moment she took to grab it, the man leapt to his feet, and ran off. "Wait!" She almost ran after him, but thought better of it, sliding to a halt with a sigh. Her team was tired, and so was she, and she'd found out what she wanted to know, anyway.

Not that it gave her any answers. Now, she simply had more questions. Dark, lidded eyes glanced down at the rock in her hand, a dome shaped hunk of junk, in her opinion. She'd have traded the rock for more answers.

"Might as well keep it," She shrugged, tucking it into her bag. And with a quick look over her friends, to make sure they were alright, she kept on, and the four of them stepped out into the light shining down on Route 3.

* * *

The pearl necklace had a bright shine to it, beneath the dim lights of the Pokemon Center. The rooms were slowly going dark, as night descended, and the nurses prepared the Center and its Pokemon for bed. Amy was in her own bed, of sorts, covered by blankets and stretched out on a cot in the corner of the room. Henry and Darling were curled together between her legs, sound asleep, and Ryan had his own little pillow, on the floor beside them.

Laying back, Amy lifted the pearl higher, putting it between her eyes and the light, so that it sparkled. Until the lights were shut off, and the room went dark, the pearl turning back to a dim blue color.

Who had made this, she wondered. Was it done with love and care? But if it was, what kind of man could have such love in his heart, and then abandon the one he made it for? Or, had he abandoned them? Had he died? Was he even still alive?

Sighing heavily, Amy dropped the necklace and put her hand down, half-lidded eyes glaring at the ceiling. She should be sleeping, resting for the day ahead. Tomorrow they would be heading north, looking for Bill. So far she'd not made much progress on Prof. Oak's pokedex (a consequence of her apparent dislike of Pokeballs). Perhaps the Pokemaniac could help make up for her slack. Then, if they were up to it, they might try the gym. Or perhaps train some in the wilds around the city.

Amy needed rest, but it avoided her, despite the soreness sinking into her bones.

Why did it even matter who he was? Scowling, Amy turned her head to the side, glancing towards the window. He was gone. It was irrelevant. She had mom, and Prof. Oak, and Pallet Town, and her new Pokémon friends. She didn't need him, whoever he was.

She almost convinced herself those words were true, but for the gnawing emptiness trying to crawl its way out of her throat.


	2. Cerulean to Vermillion

"Ha HA!"

At Amy's sudden cheerful outburst, Gary gave an awful scowl.

"We beat you!" The girl continued, in the midst of a victory dance. Ryan followed suit, and both of them chanted the same taunt. "We beat you, we beat you…"

"Squirtle, Squirtle…"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" The boy scoffed. "I was just tired from fighting the Nugget Bridge, that's all. You got lucky."

Amy stopped mid-chant. "The what?"

Pointing behind him, Gary repeated. "The Nugget Bridge. Five trainers, all in a row. You win, you get a Nugget, whatever the hell that is. Oh, and this annoying asshole bugs you about joining his little boy band, Team Sprocket or something –"

"Team Rocket!?"

Blinking, Gary nodded. "Yeah. Them. You know 'em?"

Amy frowned deeply. Ignoring her rival, she began to storm past him, towards the bridge, only to halt and glance behind her. All three of her Pokemon were exhausted. "Right," She muttered to herself. "Center first, Bridge later." She turned and picked up Darling, who had fainted during the fight, and made to return to the Pokemon Center.

Gary scoffed at her back. "That's right, you'd better run! Just wait until I get a second wind."

At his feet, his Bulbasaur gave an awkward cough that sounded something like, _yeah, right_.

* * *

The Nugget Bridge. Five trainers, five battles, all for one "fabulous prize". Amy didn't really care about the prize. Granted, she could use the money, as Pokémon training was more expensive than one might expect, but it wasn't the real reason she was there. Much as she told herself she was being ridiculous, the mere mention of Team Rocket had her curiosity peaked. It wasn't a gentle wonder; it was a fierce longing, like a wildfire in her heart. She had to know who these people were, because – because –

_Because I have to know who _he_ is_. She admitted to herself. Much as she didn't want it to be, much as she wished she didn't care, Amy knew that the identity of her father mattered to her. And if he was connected to this Team Rocket business_… They might be able to give me answers_.

So she and her team fought them all. It was fun, if somewhat tedious experience, but it wasn't all that hard. She had a strong team now. Ryan was a tough little fellow, like a tank with his hard shell, and with his poison abilities, Henry made short work of most types. Darling did pretty well too, for being a little creepy crawler, and in no time at all, all five trainers fell before them.

"Congratulations!" The man at the end of the bridge grinned at them toothily. Something about it was too sharp, too – vicious. It wasn't friendly at all.

"Thanks," Amy muttered cautiously. Now that she'd come this far, she felt almost nervous. What for, she didn't know. It was ridiculous. There was no danger here, just two people talking.

"Here is your prize." He handed her the yellow rock, which Amy tucked away with another quiet thanks. "Now, you've proven you're a powerful trainer. How would you like to join the big leagues?"

Was this it? Amy's eyes darted from her team, who looked expectantly at her, to the man. "You mean Team Rocket?"

He looked pleased. "You've heard of us?"

"A little." She admitted. "But I really don't know who you are."

"Team Rocket is a criminal organization that specializes in using Pokémon to create a profit." The man said. "We want strong trainers to help us establish new bases in Kanto's cities. You think you've got what it takes?"

Amy's wide eyes stared him down, her hand stuck in her pocket. She'd frozen at his words, heart hammering in her chest.

"C – Criminals?" Frowning, Amy's body found motion again, and she almost stumbled forward. "You mean like, what, breaking the law?"

Sputtering laughter was his reply. "What do you think, kid? So, you joining up or what? You could be great with us, you've got the potential. We could teach you so much."

But… criminals? The word put her on edge, though she could hardly imagine what Pokémon criminals did. It was vague, undefined, but brought to mind all manner of unsavory, horrid things. She filled in the blanks with her own thoughts, and her imagination brought up nothing pretty.

"Sorry, buddy," She managed to say, backing away. "But I'm not interested in joining your – boy band." The man chuckled darkly, as if amused.

"I wasn't really giving you a choice."

Frowning, Amy turned to her team. Just in time, too; for next she knew, the stranger was bringing out his own Pokeball. It became a battle all right; an apparent fight for her freedom.

Whoever Team Rocket was, if this was how they acted, she wanted nothing to do with them. And if they were criminals…

"Maybe he just meant criminal in a petty kind of way." She wondered aloud after the fight. The four of them were walking to Bill's cabin, with Amy's thoughts still quite stuck upon the encounter.

"Squirtle?" Ryan did not sound convinced. She glanced down at him.

"You know," She shrugged. "Mining without a permit maybe. Or – having a Nugget Bridge… without a permit?" Ryan's look darkened, unconvinced.

Amy wasn't really convinced of it either.

"Well, whatever they are," She said finally, turning to look ahead. "I'm sure my dad wasn't involved with them. He couldn't be a criminal."

Could he?

* * *

Another night found the four camped in the Pokémon Center once again. But Amy couldn't complain; it was better than sleeping outside, for certain, and the food was tastier, too. By evening she and her team were cuddled up around a table, swathed in blankets, eating dinner and playing a little game.

"Okay, then I move – here." Amy said, picking up the cap to her water bottle. She was about to place it in front of Henry's toothpick, when Ryan stood, waving his hands. "What?" She faltered. "You can't tell me that's not allowed. Come on." But he shook his head, and with a sigh, Amy set the cap back. "I swear you guys are cheating."

Not that she really knew what this game was. The little trio had made it up themselves, and seemed to be divining the rules as they went along. A bunch of knick knacks were spread across the table, like soldiers in a war, and certain moves got rid of certain pieces. All the Pokémon had a few pieces lined up on the defeated side, but Amy hadn't won a single thing.

Henry moved a ring he'd found on the floor across the table and took one of Amy's bottle caps. She sighed again. "Yup." She said. "I am being conned by my own friends." The three giggled, and she found herself smiling as well.

"Having fun?"

The teen's head snapped up. "Oh!" She was taken by surprise by the appearance of another girl her own age, leaning on the back of the couch nearby, watching their game with a smile. "Um, yeah, I suppose. If you can call being ganged up on fun."

That made the girl laugh. She was a red-head, a bit shorter and paler than Amy, and much scrawnier. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I saw a new face and thought I'd say hello. I'm Misty."

Amy held out her hand. "Amy." Her hand fell, and she smiled sheepishly. "Is it that obvious I'm new?"

"Well, most people who sleep overnight in Pokémon Centers tend to be out of towners."

"True enough."

"You a trainer?"

She nodded, and looked down to her team. The three had stopped their little game to turn and look at the new human with mixed looks of curiosity and trepidation. "Guys, this is Misty. Misty, meet Henry, Darling, and Ryan." A chorus of chirps and squeaks followed her words.

"Nice to meet you." The girl's smile broadened. "Just starting out?"

"Yeah. We just got through Mt. Moon to get here yesterday. Spent a few hours exploring today, then the storm hit." She gestured to the window. Outside, the sky was black, streaked with the occasional stroke of lightning, rain coming down in torrents.

"Must be exciting, just starting out. I remember I was thrilled to hit the road when I first left." Misty grinned, leaning back on her hands. "Then again, I was just thrilled to get out from under my sister's thumbs for a while. You know?"

Amy chuckled. "Sorry, only child. Though I did have a really bratty neighbor I am plenty happy to be rid of." Mostly. "Yeah, it is exciting. Terrifying, but, exciting too. I've never been so far away from home."

"Where's home?" Glancing up, Amy met Misty's eyes.

"Pallet Town. Well, I grew up there. My mom was from the Sevii Islands, that's where I was born, apparently. But I don't remember."

For never having seen them, Amy certainly had the look of a person from the Islands. Dark hair, skin, and eyes, a tall, broad figure, with long thick legs and her mother's freckles dotting her nose. Her mother's skin was darker still, and with plenty more freckles, but her eyes were a light green.

"I always loved the islands. Plenty of wonderful water Pokémon." At that, Misty glanced at Ryan, winked, and the Squirtle gave a happy cheer.

"I wish I could see them." Amy admitted. She cupped her mug between her hands, letting the warmth of the tea spread into her cold fingers. "Maybe we'll go there, someday."

"There aren't any gyms in the islands."

Amy shrugged. "That's alright with me. I'll be honest, battling isn't really my favorite part of being a trainer."

"That's surprising," Misty's eyebrows shot up. "Most trainers are always itching to fight."

"It – bothers me." The girl admitted. She gripped the cup tighter, her eyes staring down into its dark depths, as if she might find something in it. "I enjoy the strategy of it, the rush, the happiness that comes from the team's victory. But most of the trainers I find are so vicious about it. There's an edge of danger to it I don't like. It's not friendly, or kind. It's – violent."

"Most trainers think that's how they have to be, to become strong." Misty's eyes were dark, serious, but not without empathy. She leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees, looking at Amy's downcast face.

The girl huffed. "It's not strength, it's control." Glancing up, Amy saw the look on Misty's face that begged a better explanation. She sighed, sitting up, gesturing with one hand. "A lot of trainers see their Pokémon as extensions of themselves, of their wills. But that's not how it works. A good trainer is an extension of their Pokémon. The Pokémon are the ones who fight, the ones who bruise and bleed and sweat in the arena. They put the work in. We're just a guiding force, a support system. You wouldn't see a soccer coach claiming all the glory on the soccer field, but in the Pokémon arena, it happens all the time."

"Trainers like that treat their Pokémon like weapons, not living creatures." She finished with darkly, a heavy frown set upon her face.

"You are a very interesting person, Amy." Misty said finally. "If you don't like to battle, why did you become a trainer?"

A grin returned to the girl's face as she looked at her team, all of whom were looking at her with concern and interest. "I like this," She said, gesturing to the silly, confusing little game spread upon the table. "The bond, the friendship. Traveling the world, seeing new people and Pokémon and places. Besides, I," A fond, faraway look came to her eyes. "I always imagined my dad was a trainer. That he was off somewhere, having amazing adventures and seeing distance lands and doing great things. Important things. Otherwise, why would he be gone? Why would he –" She choked, catching herself as she felt too much of the truth spilling from her tongue.

_Otherwise, why would he leave us?_

"Sorry if I drudged up bad memories." Misty said quietly.

"No, I," Amy wiped at her eyes with a quiet sniffle. "I'm sorry, I got too worked up. Silly me." She chuckled weakly. In an instant, she quickly found herself with a lapful of Pokémon. "Oh!"

Ryan was in the center of her lap, facing her with great concern, his little arms wrapped around her waist. Darling was nestled into her arm, cooing, and Henry was resting on her thigh, looking up at her with worry.

"You must be onto something with your ideas about training," The other girl admitted. "Because your Pokémon seem to love you."

A big happy grin split her face, though a few tears did fall down her cheeks. "I love them too," She said quietly, and gave Ryan a little peck on the top of his head.

* * *

In the morning, gathered around breakfast, Amy and her team discussed the possibilities for the day.

"We could go for the gym," The human shrugged, glancing over the map spread across the table. "But I thought we might try having some fun. What's the use of traveling across the world if you aren't going to explore it, right?" She looked up, and her friends seemed interested by her idea. She pointed to the map. "We could head out across the bridge again. There's a cave on the other side that we missed yesterday." Folding up the map, she tucked it away, and turned her gaze to Ryan, Henry, and Darling. "Who wants to go spelunking?"

By mid-afternoon, they'd headed out into the wilderness. The cave wasn't hard to find; within an hour, the four of them were approaching it. Amy ducked under the edge of the opening, pulling out her flashlight, feeling a trembling thrill run up her spine.

"We had nothing like this back home," She whispered. Pallet Town was a place of rolling fields and little hills, with nothing like the mountains of the north. As a child, the closest she'd come to seeing caves were the little burrows Pokémon made in the forests around her home.

"Squirtle!" Ryan hopped in first. He seemed the most eager to explore, with Darling close behind. Henry seemed nervous, but unwilling to be left behind.

Unlike Mt. Moon, the Cerulean Cave was somewhat warm, though even more damp than the mountain had been. Everything about Cerulean City was wet, and dark, the sky ever covered with grey clouds. But somehow, it wasn't dark, or depressing. The climate was warm, the people were friendly, the world was green and full of life.

Stepping further into the cave, Amy let the flashlight dance about. It was a small opening, curved and closed in, leading forward and curving down somewhat as it did. "You guys ready?" A chorus of responses, from eager to nervous, answered her. She glanced to Henry, who was cuddled up against her leg, and smiled. "Wanna come up?" The Nidoran glanced up as she gestured with her arms, and he nodded eagerly. She lifted him into her arms, adjusting her hold so she could point the flashlight forward, and they moved on.

For a while, the path remained as it was: straight, closed, and dark, curving ever downward. She kept the light to the ground, brightening the path for her friends, careful to watch where she stepped. The ground went from being moist to covered in puddles, and she almost slipped a time or two.

After what might've been fifteen or twenty minutes, the path finally opened up. And when it opened, it truly opened.

"Dear Heavens above," The girl whispered reverently. "Would you look at that!"

The pathway came to an enormous cavern, which reached upwards of fifty feet high. It was rounded, and wide, colored a strangely ethereal blue. The patterns of jagged rocks and gems in the wall sparkled against the light which flooded through a few cracks in the ceiling. Grey sunlight drifted down through the clouds and touched the stones softly.

Ryan gave a cooing chirp, before bounding into the space. Amy almost asked him to come back, but it seemed safe enough. The floor was smooth and unbroken, but for a crevice some distance away, which seemed to lead to an underground stream some five feet below. Darling crawled after him at a slower space, glancing around at all the glittering stones, while Henry happily took it in from the safety of Amy's arms.

The human took more cautious steps, eying the cave. Approaching a wall, she set down her flashlight, and trailed a hand across one of the blue stones. "Beautiful," She whispered. In its reflection, she saw herself, her face, the necklace around her neck, the glowing pearl atop her breast. They were almost the same, by the look of it, but the pearl's color was much brighter. She wondered if maybe it had been taken from a cave like this.

"SQUIRTLE!"

A loud splash followed the outcry, and Amy's chest seized. She spun round, already running across the room, water flying in her wake. "Ryan? Ryan!" She slid to a halt by the edge of the crevice, looking round frantically, only to see the little turtle flailing in the water a few feet away. "Ryan!"

Darling came up to the edge with a shriek, combining his own outcries with Ryan's, and Henry's. Amy set him gently on the ground, and the Nidoran came racing dangerously close to the edge. She knelt at it, hands gripping the rough stone as she knelt down. "Ryan, give me your hand!"

Times like this, she almost wished she had a pokeball. But she didn't, for she'd gotten rid of all of them; she only had her friends and her own strength, and it would have to be enough. She stretched as far as she could, safely as she could, and still couldn't reach.

"Oh, god," Breathing heavily, Amy tried to clear her mind and think, damnit, and kept coming up with singular words. Rope! Damn, she didn't have any, because she hadn't thought she'd need it, they weren't going that far, weren't planning on climbing, just exploring, she hadn't thought – hadn't dreamt –

Ryan gave another plaintive cry, trying to scramble up the rock's edge without effect. The truth was, it wasn't that deep, for a human. Down there herself, Amy could easily hoist him up onto the surface again. But she'd be left to rot, because the rock was too smooth to climb, and it was too deep to jump. As a water Pokémon, Ryan would probably be fine if Amy left him – but he was terrified. She could see it clearly in his eyes, in how frantically he moved, in how he hadn't stopped crying since he fell –

She was a human. Hours stuck in cold water in a damp cave could hurt her, badly. She could return to the city and get help faster and easier. Logically, leaving Ryan to return to Cerulean made the most sense.

"I – It's okay, Ryan," Amy muttered dryly, pulling her bag off her back. "It's going to be okay." She knew this was stupid, knew it could get her killed –

But she couldn't leave him. She couldn't let him stay here, with all that fear in his eyes.

Slowly, carefully, she inched over the edge, until enough of her weight was over and she simply slid down into the water. Ryan went for her immediately; fell into her grip with a cry, cuddling close like a child. She gripped him in a tight hug, brought him close. "It's okay, it's gonna be okay." She was chest deep in water, but she could push her legs off the wall and get some traction that way. With Ryan held securely in one arm, she pushed off, desperately reaching for the rock's edge. She gripped it with a few fingers, and lifted Ryan, and he managed to pull himself up again.

She dropped as soon as he was free, and the momentum sent her almost entirely under water. It was bitterly cold, freezing through to the bones, and all her clothes were soaked. Shivering, Amy broke the surface again, gasping for breath, looking up to see three very concerned faces.

"It's – It's okay guys, I'm fine, we're all fine, promise," She tried to smile. "I just – I need your help, okay?" Ryan nodded fervently, and the other two gathered close to him. "Do you remember how to get to the city? Across the bridge?" Ryan nodded. "I need you to go there and find somebody to help? Bring somebody back here, and make sure to bring some rope, or – or something? Can you do that?"

They all proclaimed in the affirmative, she could tell by their tones, and within an instant they were off. Amy was glad to see Ryan grabbing her bag and hauling it along; anyone would realize Pokémon with a backpack had to be missing a trainer, right?

Hopefully.

Within a minute, the cave was quiet again, and darker than before, and in the bitter chill of night, Amy felt reality sink in. She was trapped, and freezing, and very much alone. Her hands, stretched upward against the rock, slid downward, and she slipped further into the water. She couldn't touch the bottom. It was a dark blue, too dark to see if anything was in it… and suddenly she realized how vulnerable she was, how little she had to defend herself. Even her flashlight she'd left carelessly behind, sitting on a rock across the cavern floor.

"Damn, damn, damn!" She cursed heavily, shaking with the cold and with more than a little fear. On the next word, her voice cracked and shook. "Damn!"

'_That was a kind thing you did_.'

Amy jumped, gasping. A shadowy figure stood above her on the platform, hidden in the dark. "H – Hello?" Cautiously, she approached the wall again. "Can you help me, p – please?" Fear grew thicker and quickened her heartbeat, as she looked at the strange, ambiguous figure that simply stood above her, motionlessly. "Can you hear me?"

Then, she felt it; she was moving, but she wasn't moving herself. Glancing down, she saw her whole body had been enveloped in some kind of blue, psychic glow. A quiet gasp tore out of her throat as she slowly went up, up, up, until she was completely out of the water, and being gently place upon dry land.

As soon as the psychic glow went away, Amy collapsed, shaking, grabbing at her chest as if to quell her pounding heart. Physically, she was fine, though very cold, but she was quite seriously terrified. It was hard to breath, hard to move, her heart hammering so fast and loud she felt it would burst out of her chest… was she – was she dying?

"_It's all right_." Suddenly the stranger was beside her, placing a cloak around her shoulders. "_You are suffering from a panic attack. It will pass in time_."

She stayed still, curled up on the floor, hovering between relief and sheer terror, her mind wiped blank by the emotions running rampant inside her. But it did pass; her breathing began to even out, her pulse slowing back down, and the world seemed to right itself again. Once she felt she could possibly stand, Amy forced her feet under herself, and stood, turning to her savoir.

"Thank… you…." Her voice stalled as she took in the sight of… it? It was a Pokémon. Bipedal, taller than a human, and almost certainly psychic.

The Pokémon had a wry smirk on its face. "_You were not expecting a Pokémon_?"

"Well," She shrugged. "Most of the Pokémon I've met don't speak any language I understand." Amy admitted. "But that's not the point, anyway. Thank you. Thank you so much, I – I don't know what I would have done, if you hadn't shown up."

"_It does not merit thinking of_." He was right – if she did, she'd slid right back down into panic mode again. So, to divert her thoughts, she turned her attention to something much more interesting.

Such as – oh, right. _ The enormous talking Pokémon in front of her_.

"Who are you?" She asked, cocking her head to the side. "I've never seen anyone like you before."

The stranger looked quizzical at that, if a mostly expressionless Pokémon could look quizzical. "_You speak of me as if I am an individual. An equal_."

Unsure of how to take that comment, Amy shrugged. "Is that a bad thing?" She asked. Perhaps this fellow was just shy? She stuck out her hand. "I'm Amy, from Pallet Town. I'm new to this whole training thing, which is why I went inside a cave with no rope like an idiot."

Her hand hung in midair, and he made no move to meet it. Embarrassed, Amy dropped her hand quick, with a desperate laugh. "Right, well. Thanks. Again. I guess I'll just –" Gesturing awkwardly behind her, she began backtracking towards the path to the surface. She slipped and almost fell, and perhaps would have, if not for the blue glow which came over her once again.

She met her rescuer's eyes, and saw they were a bright purple, and they shimmered under the moonlight. "_I am – no one_."

"No one?" Amy scoffed. "That's not a nice name."

"_It's not –"_

"People don't go around calling you that, do they?"

"'_People' do not talk to me_."

"Why not?" She cocked an eyebrow, then answered her own question. "Actually, given how friendly you are, I can see why not. It's like talking to the cave wall."

"_Excuse me?_"

She could almost hear a squeak in the pitch of his psychic voice, and smiled. "I said, I might go say hello to that rock over there," Amy continued, pointing her thumb in the direction of the wall. "Might be more talkative." For a moment, the Pokémon just stared, flummoxed, blinking its wide, bright eyes.

"_You are a strange human_."

"And you're a strange Pokémon, with no name, apparently."

He cast a sharp look her way. "_I have a name_." He may or may not have followed it with, _should have left her in the water_, but it was very quiet. Amy couldn't quite tell.

"But not one you'd like to share?" She guessed, following it with a shrug. "Okay. Well, thank you, again, Mr. No-Name. I really do owe you. Oh!" Looking down, she realized she was still wearing the cloak he'd put upon her shoulders. "This is…" She looked up, ready to give it back to him, but he was gone. "… yours."

Frowning at the empty cave, she turned round, to head back to the city. Hopefully her friends hadn't caused too much trouble in the meantime. She made it as far as the bridge when she found the three of them, followed by Misty, running her way.

"Amy!" The girl slid to a halt near her, gasping for breath. "Are you okay? When your team showed up at the Gym without you, I feared the worst!"

"Cold, and a little roughed up, but I'm fine. Nothing a little rest won't cure." She smiled, though she wasn't quite feeling it. She was sore to the bone and colder than an Articuno on ice. "I fell into an underwater river, but a – hiker found me, and helped me out." Glancing down, she slowly knelt, and smiled at her team. "Thanks guys."

Immediately Ryan leapt forward and wrapped his arms around her neck. The force of it had her reeling, until she lost her footing and fell on her back. In an instant, she was swarmed in concerned Pokémon. Relief and joy flooded her, to know they were all okay, that they were all going to be just fine – then it hit her.

"Wait," She said, looking up at Misty. "The Gym?"

* * *

Misty was, in fact, the Gym Leader; and Amy's fight with her was a challenge that, with a great deal of struggle, she overcame. And a day later, her new found friend walked with her on her way to the next city.

"Be sure to stop by if you're ever in town again," Misty told her, as they both walked out to the outskirts of town together.

"I will, you can bet on it."

Ryan gave a whoop and jumped into the air between them, obviously agreeing. In her arms, Darling cooed, and on her other side, Henry gave a few happy chirps.

"Seems like they like you, too," Amy told Misty, looking to the other trainer.

"They're good judges of character," The gym leader said. "I think that's why there with you, even without Pokeballs." She had noticed, then, during the match, that Amy had none to speak of. "I've never heard of a trainer not using a single Pokeball."

"I don't like them." She shrugged. "I understand, I guess, why they might be convenient or useful, but," She just – couldn't imagine being inside something that small, that dark. Maybe it was claustrophobia, or a fear of the unknown or something, but she wasn't going to subject anyone or anything to that kind of treatment. "They just put me off."

"Doesn't seem like you need them, anyhow."

Smiling, Amy looked at Darling in her arms, and tightened her arms round him for a moment. "Guess not."

They came to a building set in the center of the road, and Misty and Amy both came to a halt. "This is it." She said, hands on her hips. "This is the checkpoint that leads to Saffron City. I'm sure a little country kid like you will have tons of fun there!"

Saffron City. Just the name was enough to bowl her over. The place was big enough and important enough to have been heard of even in her neck of the woods. "How could I forget about the setting of _All My Nidorans_, or _General Pokemon Center_?"

"Not to mention _Days of Our Training_."

Both girls shared a laugh as they turned to one another. Misty lifted her hand, and with a smile, Amy took it. "I don't know if this philosophy of yours will take you all the way to the Elite Four," She admitted, "But I think you and your team are going to do amazing things, Amy."

The girl grinned in response. "Here's to hoping."

* * *

"Sorry, road's closed."

Amy blinked. "Come again?"

"I said," the guard leaned forward. He seemed jittery, nervous, his hand tapping an anxious beat against the counter. "You can't pass, the road is closed."

Flummoxed, Amy crossed her arms. "But why? There's nothing going on, no construction or anything. Is there some kind of danger?"

"No," Frustration colored the man's tone. "Just, you can't – the road's closed!"

Amy felt a heavy tug on her leg, and weight traveling up it, pulling at the fabric of her skirt hard enough to almost make it slip. She squealed, grabbing it at, as Ryan used it to climb up onto her shoulder, and then onto the counter. The little turtle was glowering at the man, mumbling angrily, waving his arms like he was about to fight!

"No, no, no!" She reached for him quick, picking him up. Ryan started pinwheeling his arms uselessly midair. "We do not fight unarmed people!"

"Lady, just get out of here!" The man demanded, backing away against the wall. He was strangely flushed, and sweaty, practically frantic. The next words, he whispered. "Leave for your own good, before it's too late!"

A sudden chill ran up Amy's spine. She froze; eyes darted right, where she realized that above the doors to Saffron City were a pair of security cameras. And both of them were staring _right at her_.

"Right," She said cautiously, holding Ryan closer. She gestured to the other two, and they all became nervous, sensing how tense she was. "You're absolutely right. Time for us to go."

The man just nodded breathlessly. Amy turned and ran, scooping up her other two friends, before barreling out the door.

They slid to a halt half a mile away, when Amy's adrenaline and fear started to peter out. She collapsed against a tree, huffing and puffing, letting her Pokemon team leave her arms and move to the ground. They turned to her, equal parts concerned and upset, and Amy assured them she was fine, just shaken.

Glancing back to the road, she spotted the building in the distance. No one was coming out of it, but even just being in sight of it made her anxious. "What was that about?" She asked herself, chest heaving.

She had no idea, but she had a feeling she didn't want to find out.

* * *

They didn't go on into Saffron City; but they did find another road ahead, to another town further south.

"This is a good thing, you'll see." She assured her friends. A couple of grumbles were their replies; they weren't all that happy about being underground, in a badly lit, smelly old bike path that hadn't seen repair in perhaps the last century, if that. "Come on, cheer up!" Amy tried to feel her own pep. If she couldn't even convince herself to be positive, how could she convince them? "After all, we're going on a cruise, aren't we?"

At the reminder, the three of them certainly did perk up; though she was relatively certain none of them knew exactly what a cruise was. But the sudden joyful mood of all three, the dancing and chirping and smiling faces, made her smile, too. All they knew was it was some sort of party, a good thing, a gift they'd been given, and they were excited to find out more about it.

Amy was excited too. She'd only been on the road for a month, perhaps, but it felt like years. She could use a rest from the endless fighting. It felt like she couldn't so much as turn a corner without someone wanting to challenge her!

"We definitely need a break," She muttered aloud. Even now, she felt her muscles throbbing. Maybe by the time she had a few more badges she'd be used to the work out.


	3. Vermillion to Route 10

The S.S. Anne was a large cruise ship, made for taking hundreds of people across the world on its voyages. It was a splendid ship, but it wasn't really made for kicking back and relaxing in the sun. No, it's passengers preferred a more – active form of relaxation.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Amy bellowed, as she rushed around the corner in the hall and slid to a halt. Henry, Ryan, and Darling were just behind, and all four collapsed against the wall. "Haven't these people heard of a vacation!?"

The trainers probably had, but they didn't see their stay on the S.S. Anne as one; Amy and her friends could not so much as pass a room by without suffering a challenge. For an hour they'd been on the ship, and already battle five such trainers, most of whom were antsy and bored and eager for a fight.

Amy, on the other hand, had been looking for a break from such things. A little time under the sun, in a bathing suit, eating fancy shrimp and drinking fancy drinks… but no such luck. She hadn't even made it to the deck yet, for all the trainers getting in her way.

"This is ridiculous," She finally sighed, wiping her brow. Even she'd worked up a sweat with all the fighting. "There's got to be a place on this ship where there are no trainers!"

They tried the kitchens, but the cooks kicked them out; they tried the deck, but trainers were up there, too. Every floor of the ship seemed crammed full of people and Pokémon itching to battle. Some of them were unavoidable; some, Amy and Co. managed to run from, skidding round corners and bounding up stairs.

They came running round such another corner – just to bump into Gary Oak! Amy couldn't stop in time, and they barreled into each other, both trainers falling to the floor.

"You!" Gary sputtered, looking down at his shirt, where his drink had splashed all over him. "What are you doing here, you – you – idiot!?"

"Oooh, nice one," The girl scoffed, leaping to her feet and brushing herself off. "I don't have to explain myself to you of all people."

"You probably snuck on board." Gary scowled as he stood. "Nobody would invite the likes of you!" Then, he grinned. "Well, since you're here –" He reached for a Pokeball.

Amy and her team's eyes all went wide. "Nope!" She shouted, bursting into motion, racing around him. "Not interested! No thank you!"

"H – Hey!" Spinning round, Gary half made to run after her. "Come back here!" But the four of them were gone, already up the stairs. The trainer laughed to himself. "Coward!"

Amy didn't much care what Gary called her; she was beyond tired of fighting, especially given she'd hoped the ship would be something of a day off for her and her team. Sighing, she fell back against the door of the room she'd taken refuge in – and then, she heard the sound of someone getting, well, sick.

Grimacing, she turned to look into the room. There was a man, in an officer's uniform, kneeling over a trash can. "Ew," Amy muttered, looking to her friends. Ryan was holding his nose, and Henry had his face buried in his paws. "Poor guy," Slowly, Amy stood again, and approached the man. "Sir? You okay?"

He didn't respond but to groan, still retching. Frowning, Amy approached him anyway, rubbing his back like her mother used to do when she was ill. She didn't know what else to do, and didn't like standing around uselessly when someone else was suffering. Feeling quite awkward, she glanced at her team. "There, there…" She grimaced at her own tense tone and strange choice of words, but shrugged. She was just trying to help.

After a few minutes, the man seemed to compose himself, and stood, revealing by the collecting of ribbons and other assortment of honors on his person that he was none other than the Captain! "Oh!" Shocked, Amy threw up an awkward salute – then realized she was saluting with the wrong hand, and threw up the other one. "Sorry for barging in, we were just –"

"No, don't be! I should thank you!" The man insisted. "I've felt terrible for days, but that really helped."

Amy blinked. "It did?" She'd done next to nothing, and tried to tell the man that, but he kept insisting she had been a great help and deserved a reward.

"How about – this!" He hand her a box, about the size of her fist. "It's an HM – Cut! Should come in handy for a Pokémon Trainer, I should think.

"Oh, well, thank you," She started, "But um, could I ask you a favor, maybe?"

The man grinned, hands on his hips. "Anything!"

And that was how the deck of the ship was cleared entirely of trainers. Four deck chairs were set up, one each for Amy, Ryan, Henry, and Darling, and under the warm afternoon sun, they enjoyed a nice break, with snacks and drinks provided by the Captain's personal chef.

"Now this," Amy told herself, adjusting her sunglasses. "_This_ is a vacation."

Her Pokémon all chirped happily in agreement.

* * *

Of course, no vacation could last forever, and by evening, it was time for the S.S. Anne to set back out to sea. Amy and her friends stood on the dock in Vermillion City watching the enormous ship pull away, and Amy felt a tug of longing pull at her heart.

"Maybe we'll set out for the sea one day," She whispered mostly to herself. Watching the Anne move further towards the golden horizon, disappearing into the setting sun, she felt that longing grow into a desire so strong she could hardly stand it. Standing still on solid ground felt wrong, letting the ship leave without her.

Somewhere out there was her home that she'd never seen. The place she'd been born, Knot Island, where her mother had been born and lived most of her adult life. The home of her heart. Like the father she'd never known, her birthplace was a question she wanted to answer, a blank space in her life she desperately wanted filled.

One day, she would fill it. But waiting, after she'd already waited so long, burned at her skin.

"Come on," She finally said to her friends, turning away from the ocean before she gave in and simply swam after the S.S. Anne. "We've got a gym leader to beat, right?"

"Squirtle!"

"Nido!"

"Weeeeedle!"

* * *

Fighting electric Pokémon, given her line up, was a fair bit harder than any of her gym matches before. But as they had with Brock and Misty, Amy and her friends overcame Lt. Surge, and won the Thunder badge. They did not leave town immediately; making good on her desire to explore the world, Amy and Co. wandered the wilderness around Vermillion, fought a handful of trainers, and found yet another cave.

"I'm not even trying this one," Amy said, looking at the entrance to Diglett's Cave with trepidation. "I have learned my lesson: Amy and caves don't mix." Ryan, Henry, and Darling seemed fine with that; none of them were eager to have a repeat of their last encounter with a cave, either.

Once they'd had their fill of the wilderness, they took the bike path back up to Cerulean City.

"Since Saffron is, apparently, out of the question," Amy said with a scoff, looking over her map. "We'll have to take the long way round to the next city. We can cut through Cerulean, make for this cave here, and take it to Lavender Town."

All three Pokémon complained loudly at the mention of a cave. "I know, I don't like it either," Amy admitted. "But we've got no choice. The guards won't let us into Saffron at all." They'd tried the southern entrance, from Vermillion, but the guard at that pass hadn't let them through either. He'd been just as jittery and nervous as the other guard, and honestly, it set Amy on edge.

Something was very wrong in Saffron City.

But that wasn't her business; she was no cop, she was just a Pokémon Trainer, and a young, unskilled one at that.

"Come on, it won't be so bad." She assured them, tucking the map away. "After all, we can stop by and see Misty again!"

That did cheer them up plenty.

* * *

They didn't see Misty that night; they arrived late in the evening, around dinnertime, and made immediately for the Pokémon Center. After the team was healed and gathered around their dinner, Amy took off, assured of their safety and having told them she wouldn't be long. She had something to do, in Cerulean Cave.

She left by herself, with her bag on her back, holding in her arms the cloak from the mysterious Pokémon.

She made good time across the countryside on her new bike, a gift from a rather eccentric citizen of Vermillion City who'd been kind enough to share his bike voucher. _Listening to him gabber on forever was sort've worth it_, Amy thought to herself, peddling along across the Nugget Bridge, where she realized Team Rocket was noticeably absent.

Reminder of the Rockets sent a little shiver through her, as did thoughts of all the unanswered questions surrounding them. They were criminals, that man had said, criminals who specialized in Pokémon. And her mother had a uniform just like theirs, tucked away in a box in the back of a closet… something she treasured, something she kept secret…

Truth was, all Amy had to do to know the truth was call her mother. Much as she would prefer to have the conversation face to face, her mom could tell her everything she needed to know over the phone. She could know who her dad was, once and for all, and maybe Mom could tell her who these Rocket goons were, and why she had a uniform like theirs.

Yet, she didn't make the call. Gritting her teeth, Amy was forced to realize she was terrified to make the call. Because yes, she could get answers, but what if they were answers she didn't like?

As she came to the cave, it started to rain, a thunderous downpour that seemed to come from nowhere. Or perhaps, she simply hadn't been paying attention, lost in dark thoughts as she was. Either way, she came to Cerulean Cave just in time to take refuge in it.

Amy hurried inside, protecting her bundle with her upper body. The cave was dark, but she knew her way and every so often lightning flashed outside and light it up, dimly. But once she came to the cavern, the moonlight filtering in from above, even through the stormy sky, was enough to light her way.

In the center, some of the rain was coming through, so Amy avoided it, sticking to the walls. She glanced round, taking in its wondrous beauty again. She was loathe to break the silence, but she did so, her voice quiet and hesitant.

"H – Hello?" Amy called, glancing around. "Anyone home?" Her voice echoed on, unanswered, and after a minute, she tried again. Nothing. Frowning, she glanced down at her arms. She didn't want to just leave the cloak on the dirty, wet ground. But she wasn't sure when she'd be back by Cerulean either…

Just as she was about to turn and head back out into the rain, she saw something. In the back of the cave, hidden in a dark corner, was another path. She thought the room had been a dead end, but there it was. Had it been there before? Frowning, Amy approached it cautiously, eying the darkness with suspicion. She pulled out her flashlight, and shined it down the path, but it seemed like just another rock-filled cave.

After a moment's hesitation, she followed it, taking the sloping, curving path further down into the darkness. The path turned and twisted, before finally leveling out into another small cavern.

This one was darker and smaller than the first, with few crystals lining the walls. But it had lamps, man-made, dug into the walls at intervals. In fact… it looked like somewhere lived there.

"What in the world…" Amy turned off her flashlight. It was someone's home, all right. A small bed pallet sat in one corner, with a few threadbare blankets. There was a cabinet beside it, filled with all sorts of supplies, and spread about the room was piles of books: books on blankets, on shelves, on what looked like dinner plates. Whatever could be found, was put to use, it seemed. Most of the books were about Pokemon, but quite a few were about people, too.

Was this the home of that strange Pokémon? It could be, Amy realized. The Pokémon could talk; perhaps it could read, too.

If it was, well, the Pokémon wasn't home. Amy approached the bed and made to set the cloak down upon it. It was then she heard something behind her. It wasn't quite a footstep, but it was movement, all the same. She turned round; back in the corner of the room was the same strange Pokémon. Amy knew he hadn't been there before, but there he was, from out of nowhere.

_Psychics are freaky_, Amy thought with a shudder, stepping forward. "Um, hi," She hesitated a few feet away from him. Then, she held out the cloak. "This is yours. Sorry for taking it, I wasn't thinking straight last time I was here." That was quite the understatement.

The Pokémon did not reach to take it; Amy stood there, with her hands outstretched, and she waited, and she waited… until she frowned, and lifted her eyes. He was just staring at her, hard gaze firm and disapproving. It made her feel self-conscious, and she bristled. "What?" She looked down at the cloak. "Sorry if it's wet, I don't have an umbrella. I think it's mostly clean…" As clean as anything a trainer carried around could be. "If this is about me coming down here, then, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to barge in, I just wanted to make sure this got back to you."

Finally, the creature spoke. "_Why_?"

Amy blinked. "What do you mean, why? It's yours. That's why."

That didn't seem to satisfy him. He frowned, and approaching her, took the cloak back. "_You went out of your way to return this. It's just a cloak, and I – am just a Pokemon._" Looking up, his eyes met hers. She'd thought them purple before, but up close, she saw they were softer than that: perhaps lavender, or lilac. "_You must have another purpose. Some reason for seeking me out. Why else would you do something so selfless?"_

"A simple thank you would suffice." She said gruffly, shaking her head. This Pokémon had a chip on his shoulder the size of the S.S. Anne. "Look, I'm sorry for invading your privacy, I'll get out of your way." Holding her hands up, she backed off, turning to head for the tunnel.

"_There is a storm raging outside._"

She knew that. "I know that." She shrugged, glancing back at him. "But my friends are at the center in Cerulean, I've got to get back."

For a moment, the stranger was quiet. _"Stay here for the night_." He said finally. "_You may return in the morning_." Then he turned away from her, walking off to one of the cabinets nearby.

She glared at his back. "Was that an invitation or an order?" Amy grumbled quietly, but she took a seat on a pillow against the wall.

It was tense and awkward, sitting cross legged on the pillow, watching the tall Pokémon set about his evening routine. He brightened the lamps, to better light the dim cave; then he took out a set of burners and a few cans of food, and some forks and spoons. Amy watched as he took a seat in front of the burner, using his powers to open a can of corn. There was… something sad about it. Seeing his large figure hunched over the rusted device, sitting in a cave full of what looked like used, discarded knick knacks.

"Why do you live like this?" She found herself asking. Sharp eyes darted up to meet her own, and suddenly she realized the question was rather rude. "Sorry, it's just… most of the Pokémon I meet in the wild live like… Pokémon. But you –"

"_Live like a human?"_ He scoffed.

"Sort've." She glanced around again. "You're the only Pokémon I know who has books."

"_I am no human_." He stirred a can of beans with a spoon using his mind, and floated it onto the burner as he did. "_But neither am I fully a Pokémon. As such, I belong… nowhere_."

Not human, but not a Pokémon? Frowning, Amy glanced around again, at the haphazard stacks of books, the little collections of cans, the dirty pillows leaning against the wall… "Who are you, then?" She asked. "You never told me your name."

"_That's not important_."

"Come on, give me something." Amy shrugged a little grin on her face. "Lie if you have to. I can't keep thinking of you as 'that Pokémon', you know."

"_Why does it matter to you?"_

Rolling her eyes, Amy sat back up. "Fine. I'll just call you Frodo."

The spoon faltered, and the stranger blinked wildly. "_What?"_

Smiling, she gestured to a stack of books. "I saw '_The Lord of the Rings'_ over there. You like it?" He still looked quite shocked, and the look was endearing. Amy's smile broadened. "You've got this air about you that reminds me of him. Solemn, sort've sad, but very kind."

"_You do not know who I am. You have no idea – I am not kind_." His gaze darkened, eyes turned askance to the wall. The spoon had stopped moving completely. Sighing, Amy reached out and starting stirring it herself.

"You don't seem to like me very much, but you've been a big help to me twice now." She insisted, lifting the spoon to look at the beans, and judge their readiness. "I think you are very kind."

"… _thank you."_

"You're welcome, Frodo."

"_Please do not call me that_."

"Too late!"

* * *

Morning came, and Amy awoke slowly and gently as the warm sunlight came pouring over her face… wait, sunlight?

Blinking and groaning, the tired woman sat up, wiping at her eyes. When she opened them, she wasn't in a cave; she was in the Pokémon Center, sleeping on a bench, her Pokémon asleep on the pallet beside her.

_Did I come back yesterday_? No, she was certain she hadn't. Then how…?

"Teleportation." Amy whispered quietly. That had to be it. Sitting up on her knees, she looked round the room. "Frodo's psychic, he must've zapped me here." Then, turning to the window again, she frowned. "But if he could've done that the whole time, why wait until morning?"

Why indeed?

* * *

"Here we are," Amy said, folding up the map and tucking it away. "Rock Tunnel. What a brilliant name. Very – apt."

"Squirtle, Squirtle." Glancing down, she saw her friend shaking his head.

"What? It's not too early in the morning for sarcasm." He just kept grumbling, perhaps lamenting his trainer's bad sense of humor, but Amy couldn't really tell. She smiled, anyway. "Well, you guys ready to go?"

The three of them agreed with chirps and nods, and they entered the cave – only to promptly turn round and leave the cave.

"Wow," Amy muttered. "They weren't kidding when they said you'd need lights to get through there. I don't think this will be enough!" She said holding up the lantern in her hand. The three Pokémon nodded. "Well… I have that Flash TM. But – I don't think any of you guys can learn it."

Ryan sighed, shaking his head. Henry glanced round to the cave entrance, from the safety of his trainer's feet, shaking nervously.

"Okay, okay, we'll figure this out. We've just gotta find somebody who can use flash."

"Perhaps I can be of service."

All four jumped as one, letting out surprised cries. Amy spun to see another woman approaching, with long dark hair. "I apologize," She said, her voice stern and serious. "I happened to overhear. I am also entering the tunnel; perhaps we could travel together?"

Surprised, Amy took another look at the woman. She was in red and black, a long cloak hung over her shoulders, and at her side stood a Kadabra. "Um, sure. Sounds great, thank you!" Grinning, she extended her hand. "I'm Amy, and this is Ryan, Henry, and Darling."

Often, when Amy introduced her Pokémon in such a way, other trainers reacted with surprise or disdain. But this trainer was not surprised at all; she smiled at the Pokémon, and gave a slight bow. "A pleasure to meet you all." This of course pleased them immensely, and they all took a quick liking to the stranger. "I am Sabrina, of Saffron City, and this is Kadabra." The Pokémon gave its own cheerful greeting, and was quickly swamped by Amy's team.

"Nice to meet you, Sabrina." Amy replied, before stepping to the side. "Why don't you lead the way?"

* * *

With Kadabra along for the ride, the trip through the Rock Tunnel was much easier. He led the way, his trainer at his side, while Amy and her friends tagged along close behind. The cave was darker than Mt. Moon by far, and drier than the Cerulean cave, and not as attractive or interesting as either.

_Is it a bad thing that I've got enough knowledge of caves to be comparing them now?_ She asked herself. It showed a certain amount of experience as a traveler, but to some degree she regretted how well she knew the dark, murky, inner workings of the world.

"So," About an hour into their trip, Amy was bored enough to attempt conversation with the stranger. They were hiking up a steep incline, covered in rough edges and sharp points. Amy was practically crawling on her hands and knees trying to get up it, but Sabrina and Kadabra seemed to be doing fine on two feet. "You said you were from Saffron?"

"Yes."

"Neat," She managed, taking a moment to breath. Darling, on her shoulder, keep peering around into the dark nervously. "I've been trying to get to Saffron, but I've had no luck. Seems all the roads are closed."

"Then we've encountered similar problems." She heard the other trainer say as she mounted the top of the climb. "I, too, cannot get into the city."

A few minutes later, Amy mounted it herself, huffing and puffing as she pulled herself up. Ryan was a little behind her, with Henry on his tail, and the two of the collapsed into a heap at Amy's feet. The trainer glanced to them, leaning forward with her hands on her knees, breathing hard. Then, sheepishly, she glanced at the well-kept Sabrina. "Mind if we take a break?"

She didn't. They took a seat on a group of rocks, and the Pokémon took the chance to eat. Amy didn't feel hungry, just thirsty and tired and ready for a warm shower.

"How long has this been going on?" Amy asked the other trainer, returning to their conversation.

"I'm not sure." Sabrina admitted. Kadabra was seated next to her, eating demurely. "I left to visit family in the north a few months ago, and when I tried to return, I found the way blocked."

Amy glanced to the Pokémon by her. "Your Kadabra could get you there though, right? By teleportation."

"Typically, he could, or even I could do so, for I am psychic as well." Amy's eyes went wide. "But Saffron City has not only been blockaded physically; there is a psychic barrier around it as well. No one, human or Pokémon, can teleport in or out of the city."

"That's… not good." Amy bit her lip. "Actually that sounds really bad. Why would this be happening?"

"I don't know, but I don't like it." Sabrina was frowning, glaring off to the side. "I have my… suspicions. But they will have to wait. I am hoping that perhaps the path from Lavender Town will be open. If not…" She did not finish, but her gaze darkened.

"You must really want to get home."

Sabrina turned to look at Amy. "And why do you take this path?"

"I'm just traveling with my friends." She shrugged. "I want to see the world, and as much as Lavender Town sounds – depressing, it's a new experience."

"You are a trainer?"

Amy nodded. "Yeah, I am."

"Then you are taking the gym challenge."

"… I suppose." She shrugged again. "Battling isn't all that important to me. We have a few badges, but…" Her eyes lowered. "It will only get tougher from here. Trainers and Pokémon really have to buckle down and get rough to make it to the League. I'm not sure that's what I want, or what they want." She looked to her friends, who were watching her curiously.

"Squirt!" Ryan suddenly set his meal down, and lifted his fist, punching the air with a serious grimace. "Squirtle Squirtle!"

"Your friend seems interested in taking on the League." Sabrina commented with a smile. "Kadabra tells me he wants to 'kick their asses to Johto and back'."

At that, Amy broke into chuckles. "Really?" She grinned at Ryan. "I sincerely think you could." He beamed.

"Squirt Squirtle!"

"We can, he says." Sabrina continued. "Together."

Despite herself, Amy smiled. "Maybe."

* * *

They camped a single night in the cave, and early the next morning, came out the other side of the mountain.

"Ah!" Amy took in a deep breath. "Nice, fresh air again!" Stretching her arms to the sky, she grinned. "If I never see the inside of another cave again, it'll be too soon."

Henry came darting out of the cave behind her, and gave a shrill chirp of agreement.

Sabrina and Kadabra were already standing outside, looking out over the mountain range, down into the valley before them. "Thanks for helping us out." Amy told her as she approached. "I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't come along."

"I think you would have managed." The psychic said, glancing her way with a smile. "You lot seem very – stubborn."

Amy laughed. "We are that." A tug at her pants leg drew the woman's attention downward; Ryan was holding her capris and pointing into the distance. "What is it buddy?" He didn't say a word; didn't move, just kept pointing. She followed his line of sight to the top of what looked like a tower, peaking out above the horizon line.

"Pokémon Tower." Sabrina told her. "A memorial for Pokémon who have passed on."

"I've heard of it." She said, glancing to Ryan again. "It's famous… even where I'm from…" Ryan seemed off, somehow. There was a look in his eye she didn't like, and his expression… it was just like in the cave, when he'd fallen in the river.

He was afraid.

"Shall we travel together?"

Amy jumped, turning round. Sabrina and Kadabra had already begun walking down the path, though the psychic hesitated to turn back and look her way. After a moment, she nodded. "Yeah, we're coming." She looked down. Ryan had turned away from the Tower, but he seemed visibly upset, disturbed even. Amy knelt down. "Hey, you okay?"

The little guy smiled at her, but it was weak. She opened her arms; he gladly let her pick him up, which only increased her worries. Something was definitely up. Henry and Darling seemed to think so too; they were both looking at their friend with concerned expressions.

The path to Lavender Town was rough and hilly, covered in rocks, but the closer they came to town, the more the ground evened out, and the softer the land became. Grass appeared, and trees, and soon they were walking through a thick forest. But as the foliage appeared, so did the fog, a thick grey blanket of it. The sky darkened to a dismal blue, dotted with black and grey clouds.

"Have you ever been to Lavender Town?" Amy asked the other trainer as they walked. She was looking about them at the melancholy scenery. They hadn't seen a single Pokémon since they left the cave. Just empty fields and tall trees that twisted and tangled together.

"Once. I have never been fond of it." Sabrina told her. She was in the lead, head held high, seemingly unaffected by the mood of the place. But her Kadabra was clearly spooked. It kept glancing around in the trees, spoons held high, nervousness clear in the lines of its face.

"Why not?"

"As a psychic, I am particularly sensitive to the – atmosphere here. Those who have gathered to mourn, and the spirits of those they are mourning, create a rather disturbing aura."

Amy shuddered at the thought. "I bet."

Ahead of them a sign appeared out of the fog; it was crooked, and faded, the paint wearing off. Barely legible, it read "Lavender Town" in a messy scrawl. Chest tight and stomach full of Butterfrees, Amy eyed the sign with trepidation.

She was paying attention to it, so she didn't notice Sabrina falter. By the time she did, she was almost running into her. The other trainer was leaning forward, hand gripping her head. "Hey, you okay?"

"I – I will be fine. I'm just somewhat overwhelmed." She insisted through clenched teeth. "As I said, it's been a while." Her Kadabra didn't seem convinced. He was eying her nervously, glancing at Amy with fear in its eyes.

Nerves jittering up her spine and through her teeth, Amy forced herself to nod. "If you say so."

They kept walking; and not ten feet more, the psychic fell to her knees. "Sabrina!" Amy ran to her side, kneeling beside her and catching her before she could fall all the way. Both hands clutching her head, the woman seemed to be in horrendous pain. "Sabrina, what's wrong?"

"H – How could they?" She whispered. "How could this happen? So much pain…"

"Sabrina? Sabrina!"


	4. Lavender Town to Rocket Corner

"Miss?"

Amy immediately sat up, fully attentive, though a moment before she'd been half asleep. The nurse approaching her had a smile on her face, so she took that as a good sign.

"No need to fear, your friend is going to be fine." She said. "You can see her for a moment if you'd like."

"Yes, please," Standing, Amy quickly gathered her bag, and gestured to her team. Ryan had been asleep against her leg, and woke up as soon as she stood. Henry jumped off the bench, moving to stand by his trainer, and Darling climbed up Amy's arm onto her shoulder.

They followed the nurse through the hospital, a small, old grey building shrouded in fog, just like the rest of Lavender Town. It was an eerie place; it put Amy on edge, and Ryan didn't seem to like it either. He kept looking around like he expected something to pop out at him. Glancing his way, Amy saw he was still fidgety even after his nap, not at all as rested as he should be_. Poor guy_, she thought._ I promise we'll get out of here soon._

The nurse stopped outside the door, gesturing for Amy to move in. The trainer nodded at her in acknowledgment before turning the corner. Sabrina's room was dark and dismal, despite the fact the windows were thrown open and the curtains pulled back. There was just no sunshine at all in this town.

"Hey!" Amy tried to put on a pleasant face. "How're you feeling?"

The psychic turned her way, smiling slightly. "Much better. I hear I have you to thank for taking me here?"

She shrugged. "It was the least I could do. So… what happened exactly?"

The smile became a frown. "I'm not sure." Amy watched the trainer turn to her Kadabra, who was sitting in the chair by the bed. "Psychics can be sensitive to powerful minds and spirits. All I can remember is feeling intense pain – but not my own. The pain of a dying Pokémon…"

"Dying?" A gasp tore out of her throat. "Is there a Pokémon in trouble in this town?"

Sabrina's eyes met hers. "I'm afraid that it is likely already dead."

"Squirtle?" Ryan shivered, and moved closer to Amy, grabbing at her leg. His trainer felt much the same way. Chest tight, she swallowed.

"What do you mean?"

"I believe what I felt was residual psychic energy left over from a traumatic event." Sabrina continued as she began to sit up. Her movements were stiffed and stilted, and brought a grimace to her face.

"You sure you should be doing that yet?" Amy stepped forward, concerned, her mind still reeling over what Sabrina had said. She honestly had no idea what she meant by half of it.

"Perhaps not," The woman admitted, falling back against the bed. "I find I am extremely drained." Then she turned to Amy. "You'll have to investigate."

She jumped. "Me? Investigate what?"

"Something has gone terribly wrong in Lavender Town." Sabrina continued. "As I am not currently capable, I must ask you to discover it."

Blushing, Amy pointed a finger at herself. "Me?" At her feet, Ryan was tugging at her pants and shaking his head.

"What I felt entering the town… and the barrier around Saffron… this is all concerning. The more I think of it, the more worried I become. Something is very wrong. Please, assist me in this, and I promise to make it worth your while when I can."

She hesitated only a moment, before smiling, hands on her hips. "Don't worry about making it worthwhile; if I can help Pokémon in trouble, it'll be more than worth it. I'll see what I can do. Just promise me you'll rest up in the meanwhile okay?"

Sabrina smiled. "Promise."

And Ryan collapsed backwards onto his shell, dragging his hands down his face in despair.

* * *

Within the hour, Amy, Ryan, Henry, and Darling were on the streets of Lavender Town. They were grim and dismal, darkened by the overcast sky and the fog that seemed to be everywhere they turned. The buildings were small and spaced out, divided by thin lines of dirt roads. Little lanterns hung from above, letting out a dim light over the city, but it was hardly enough.

Amy let out a sigh. "Guess we're stuck here for a little while." At that, Ryan gave a big sigh. She glanced his way. "Sorry, guys, but we can't just leave if people and Pokémon are in trouble." Henry nodded and Darling gave a chirp of agreement from Amy's shoulder.

Ryan just grumbled.

"But… I'll be honest…" Amy sighed, coming to a halt. "I'm not really sure where to start." She scanned the horizon, lost in thought, until she caught sight of – flowers? "Huh?" Yes, they were flowers, and lots of them; but not growing naturally. They were bouquets, and wreaths, and stands decorated with them in arrangements. It looked like…

"Oh," The woman said softly. Her three friends turned to look at her, heads cocked in confusion. She approached the flowers, kneeling next to them, as her heart sunk low.

Henry prodded at one of the bouquets with his horn. "Nido?"

"Are you asking why these are here?" Amy asked. Henry nodded. Turning, Amy looked to the bouquets with a heavy heart. "Sometimes, when people – or Pokémon – die in an accident or disaster, people will place flowers at the spot where they died, to honor them."

Three faces grew forlorn and melancholy, almost as one. "Weedle," Darling crooned. Amy inclined her head in respect, and whispered a quiet prayer under her breath. When she stood, she found she was no longer alone.

"Oh!" Turning, she smiled at the stranger, an older man using a cane. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you." She stood to get out of his way but he merely smiled.

"Thank you for showing Marowak such respect." The old man began. "Sadly, such kindness towards Pokémon has become rare these days."

"Pokémon?" Amy glanced back to the flowers siting on the corner. "Is that who died here?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so." The man sighed as he came to stand by Amy. "Killed by greedy poachers defending her young."

Eyes narrowing, Amy turned to the man. "Would you mind telling me the whole story?"

He turned, and looked into her eyes, his own gaze narrowing. After a moment, he nodded. "Follow me."

His name was Mr. Fuji, and he led Amy and her friends to a daycare center in town. It was his home, but it doubled as a home for wayward, homeless Pokémon, who were too tame or people-friendly to simply return to the wild. "Some of them are here because their trainers died, others were abandoned by them. However they came, tragedy tends to unite them."

"Poor little guys," The woman felt her eyes welling with tears at the sight of them, some obviously very young, gathered in the little yard behind the house. She stood with Fuji at the window, watching them play. "Was Marowak living here too?"

"Yes," Mr. Fuji answered. "She was Cubone's mother." He nodded to the window again, and Amy followed his gaze. In the back of the yard, sitting on a little stump, was a brown Pokémon wearing a skull on its head, and it looked quite upset.

"Aren't those the Pokémon people say wear their mother's skulls?"

"Just an old wife's tale." Fuji waved her off. He turned to take a seat at the table, a cup of tea between his hands. "Humans often make up such stories about things we don't understand." Amy sat across from him. As they sat, a little girl came up to them.

"Can your Pokémon play with us?" She asked Amy, showing a big grin that revealed a missing tooth. The trainer smiled back.

"Of course, if they'd like to." Darling chirped happily, crawling from Amy's shoulder to the girl's. Henry chased after her feet as she ran to the back door. But Ryan stayed firmly planted where he was, standing by Amy's feet. She looked down at him.

"You okay, buddy?" She asked brow furrowed nervously.

"He feels it – the disturbance here." Mr. Fuji sighed. "Usually, psychic Pokémon are thought of as sensitive, but all Pokémon have greater sensitivity to the world than us humans. Ever since Marowak was murdered, Lavender Town has suffered the force of her vengeful anger."

"Wait – are you saying she's…?"

"A ghost?" The man chuckled. "Yes, I am. Strange isn't it? We speak of ghost Pokémon constantly around Lavender Town, but the idea that someone that actually died might have returned… few believe me. But it is the only answer to what has happened since that fateful day some weeks ago."

"What happened?"

"A group of ruffians known as Team Rocket came to our town."

Both Amy and Ryan went stiff at the name, glancing at one another. "Why were they here?"

"What they wanted, I don't rightly know." The man admitted, taking a sip of his tea. "But they were cruel and unkind to all they came across, human and Pokémon alike. They came here, asking all sorts of questions about the Pokémon Tower. And when they saw Cubone, they tried to take him from us."

"Why?"

"Cubone are a rarity, as far as Pokémon go." Fuji told her. "But Marowak defended him, defended us all, and drove Team Rocket away. But they did too much damage to her. She died, just outside the daycare center."

Amy felt her fists tightening so that her fingernails bit into her skin. "Why would they do such a thing?"

"Perhaps you should ask them." Mr. Fuji shook his head. "They haven't left town. They entered the Tower, drove everyone out, and have been inside ever since."

"What could they want with the Tower?"

"I'm not sure," His frown deepened. "But I intend to find out. If I only could get past the ghosts!"

Ryan shivered again, and Amy reached out to place a comforting hand on his shell. "Are you really certain there are ghosts here?"

He nodded. "I've seen them. They are unlike any Pokémon I have ever known. The tower is full of them, and they are enraged, attacking any human or Pokémon they see. Perhaps they are the manifestation of the Pokémon's rage at Team Rocket's actions. Perhaps Marowak still is trying to fight them, even from the other side… I don't know. But I cannot get past them."

"How did Team Rocket get past them then?" Amy asked, setting her arms on the table. "If they could get into the tower, then there must be a way."

"Perhaps you are right." Fuji nodded. "But if you want more knowledge of the Rocket's, you'll have to leave Lavender."

"I'll do what I have to." Amy said as she stood. "I promised a friend I would try and make this right. Not to mention… murdering a Pokémon…" Gritting her teeth, Amy swore. "No one should get away with that."

Fuji stood as she did. "If that is your wish… then travel to Celadon City. They have a strong hold on that city, and you might learn more of their misdeeds there." He walked her to the back door, so she could find Darling and Henry. "When you return, come to the daycare center. Perhaps together we can put an end to their plans, whatever they might be."

Amy nodded. "Would you mind doing me a favor? There's a woman in the hospital here named Sabrina. She's interested in stopping the Rockets, too. Would you keep an eye on her for me, while I'm in Celadon?"

"Of course."

Once Henry and Darling were at her side again, she and her friends made for the front door. Fuji walked them there, and as they stepped out into the fog, he called after Amy. "You won't be able to enter Celadon the traditional way." He told her, stepping out onto the front porch. "Saffron City is entirely cut off from the world."

"I noticed." Amy grumbled.

"But there is another way," He told her. "Take the old bike path under Saffron; it will lead you directly there. And be careful." Glancing aside, Mr. Fuji turned darkened eyes to the bouquets of flowers by the road. "Team Rocket is very dangerous."

Amy followed his gaze, a lump growing in her throat. The only answer she was able to give was a quiet nod.

* * *

Celadon City was much more welcoming than Lavender. In fact, it was gorgeous; flowers blooming all around beneath a lovely cloudless blue sky. Warm sunlight was gently drifting down over them all. It was busier too, bustling with trainers and shoppers running around the various shops.

But Amy didn't feel all that appreciative of it. The urgency of her mission and the dark cloud of Lavender Town hung over her. She couldn't stop thinking of that poor Marowak… murdered defending its child, and for what? If she'd been leery of Team Rocket before, they were decidedly her enemies now. Amy clenched her fists.

"All right, guys." She said firmly. "Let's find these assholes and put an end to them."

Cheers answered her – but only two cheers. Surprised, Amy glanced down, to see Ryan frowning. "Hey, are you still feeling bad?" She moved to kneel and look at him, but the Squirtle just looked puzzled. And then, he began… glowing!

"What the…?" The trainer stared in shock as her buddy grew in size and shape, morphing beneath the glittering light into a new Pokémon! When she realized what was happening, Amy beamed, and quickly withdrew her Pokedex. "Oh my gosh, Ryan, you evolved!" The light dimmed, and a Wartortle appeared beside her. "That's amazing! Congrats!"

The turtle cheered, throwing his arms up, but hesitated halfway. "Wartortle, tortle?"

"Hmm?" She paused, confused. "Oh! You mean, didn't I want you not to evolve? Don't worry I was only teasing. You'll be cute no matter what size you are!"

At that, Ryan let out a loud squeal and leapt into her arms.

* * *

The computer buzzed and beeped, and then the screen filled with color: and there was her mother, sitting in front of her phone.

"Amy!" She grinned ear to ear. "Oh, it's so good to hear from you."

"Hi, mom." Amy smiled. "How're you? How's Pallet Town doing?"

"Fine, just fine. Even better perhaps now that you and Gary aren't around to cause trouble."

"Hey!" The woman protested, but she laughed in spite of herself. "You might be right."

They chatted in a relaxed manner for a few minutes. Amy talked about her new friends, and their victories and defeats, the places they'd been, and what they'd seen. Some topics she avoided. She never brought up the strange psychic Pokémon (whom she affectionately thought of as 'Frodo'). She didn't talk about Lavender Town at all, and she skirted around Team Rocket as best she could.

But even as she did, she felt questions rising in the back of her mind, like an itch that needed scratching. It was almost impossible to ignore, though she did try. Finally, just before she was about to say goodnight, she gave in.

"Hey, mom?" Her mother perked up. "I wanted to ask you – um. When I was a kid, I saw something in your closet. Like a uniform in red and black. What was that?"

The woman blinked, surprised. "You remember that thing?"

"I saw you… hugging it once. And crying."

Glancing down, Amy's mother smiled somberly. "I'm sorry, I – gods, there's so much I should have told you."

"No, mom, it's okay, you don't have to – I just. What is that uniform exactly?"

"I don't know." Her mother shrugged.

Flummoxed, Amy gawked. "You don't know? But why do you have it?"

"It's – well. It's hard to explain."

"Please, try." The woman insisted. Anger had her going: anger at her mother for keeping secrets, at Team Rocket for merely existing, and at herself, for not having been brave enough to ask before.

"I found your father in that uniform."

Amy jumped in surprise. "What do you mean, found?" She'd always thought that it had to do with her father… but what could her mom mean?

"When I lived on the islands. He washed up on the shore, wearing those clothes. He never told me what they were."

He… "Thanks mom, that's a big help, I gotta go, bye."

"Hey, wai –"

She hung up before her mother could finish. Amy's hand hung on the phone for a moment, her whole body stiff; shoulders slumped, head hanging between them.

"Wartortle?"

Wet eyes glanced the turtle's way. "Hey," Amy sniffled, finally moving her arm to wipe at her eyes. "Ready for dinner? Sorry, I didn't mean to take so long." She stood, adjusting her clothes, and trying to keep her voice even – but before she could move, suddenly she was being hugged. Ryan was standing on her feet, arms wrapped around her legs so tight she might fall.

"Ryan, I –," Surprised, the woman hesitated, unsure of what to do. Then, a weak smile appeared on her face as her tears finally fell. "Thanks." He remained where he was for a moment more, before he let go. "Come on, let's eat. We've got a lot to do tomorrow." Ryan chirped, and stayed close to his trainer as they crossed the Pokémon Center together.

* * *

First thing in the morning, the four set out to search Celadon City top to bottom.

They checked out the Department Store, where tons of busy shoppers filled every room. They were all too preoccupied with their own business to talk, and none of the store owners wanted to do anything but try and sell merchandise. Amy didn't learn much from them. But she did buy a few cans of soda for the road, and restock on some necessary supplies.

They walked the city streets, and found a city full of life, and of shadows. More than once, Amy was sure she saw a black and red figure walking down the alleyways. But whenever she tried following them, they always seemed to vanish into thin air. And if she asked any of those nearby if they'd seen them, the acted as if she'd never even spoke!

"This is spooky," Amy finally said, after three hours of walking. Darling gave a chirp of agreement. "It's like no one is willing to even mention them. All I have to do is say 'Team Rocket' and they run off."

"Nido, Nidoran." Looking down, Amy saw Henry had a disturbed look on his face, and she thought she could guess his meaning.

"Yeah, I think Team Rocket has these people terrified." She said in reply, looking up to the skyline. "But where are they?"

Their efforts that day were in vain, and by evening they returned to the Pokémon Center rather downtrodden.

* * *

They tried again the next day. They went from stores to shops to restaurants, and talked to everyone they could. Most people told them in no uncertain terms to butt out, to mind their own business, or something equally rude and even more derogatory. Amy had almost had enough when she encountered a rather depressed man in the back of a bar.

"That's it!" The man declared suddenly just as Amy approached him.

"That's what?" She hadn't even spoken yet.

"I'm done! I'm through! The slots have emptied me out, and I'm going straight!" Suddenly he turned and thrust something at her. "I don't need this anymore!" Then he stormed off, and out of the bar.

Amy looked down at the case he'd given her, and flipped it over. On one side was a decoration of a rocket soaring into space, and it read: "Rocket Corner". Her hands traced the design thoughtfully.

"What's the best way to hide?" She thought aloud to herself. Then, she smirked. "In plain sight."

* * *

Rocket Corner was a Casino in the center of downtown. It was amazingly popular, and very busy; almost every machine in the place was taken by somebody. Amy walked up and down the rows, eying in wonderment all the people putting coin after coin into the slots.

"This is all luck and no skill." She realized, watching one of the games. "It's a lot to gamble on basically nothing."

"Tortle Wartortle." Ryan said, arms crossed, shaking his head. Henry nodded in agreement.

She moved towards the back, her Pokémon following close behind, with Darling perched as always on her shoulder. In the far corner was a counter, where people were buying the coins needed for the game. Amy began approaching it, hoping they might shed light perhaps on who, exactly, owned this place… when someone caught her eye.

Standing in the back was a man in red and black, the very same uniform she'd seen so often during her journey across Kanto. Amy stumbled, coming to a halt just as she locked eyes on him. He must not have liked her look, because he frowned and came towards her.

"You got a problem, missy?"

"Well, one, my name is not 'missy'," The woman said with a frown. "For another, all I did was look at you. Is that a crime?"

"I don't like your mouth, brat."

"That's also not my name, asshole." Two could play the name game.

"You looking for a fight?" The man yelled, reaching for a Pokeball. It seemed he'd caught the attention of others, because one of the people behind the counter was moving towards them, and some of the patrons looked worried.

"Excuse me, but there is no battling in the building, you'll have to –" He didn't even finish before the Rocket reared back with his elbow, slamming it into the man's nose. Amy squeaked in shock and horror, hands flying to her mouth as the man fell back against the floor, cradling his bleeding nose.

People were getting up and leaving now, some even running from the casino, sensing trouble was coming. And, Amy quickly realized, as the Team Rocket Grunt turned his angry gaze back her way, trouble was coming for her!

* * *

By the time their battle was done, the whole casino was emptied, and well, trashed. It had been a chaotic battle, three on three, with Darling, Henry, and Ryan taking on a Raticate, Koffing, and Ekans. They'd totaled the place, not that Amy felt that bad about it, though the police sirens in the distance worried her.

She glanced towards the door, wondering if they should make a break for it, when the Grunt groaned and stood up.

"Oh, shit," He grumbled, stumbling back against the wall. "We've been found out! I gotta tell the boss!" Then he turned and ran down a side hall.

"Hey, wait!" Amy took after him – to see a dead end! "What the hell?" Blinking, Amy stared at the wall where the man had just run, but there was just no sign of him. Where could he have gone?

"Nido!"

Turning, Amy saw Henry gesturing to the wall. She looked up; where the Grunt had fallen was a poster. It was also in the same spot he'd been standing before he'd gotten so huffy with her.

"Huh…"

She approached it, pulling at the edge, until she found a switch hidden beneath it. A grin came to her face. "Bingo!" Flipping it she turned and saw the dead end was no end at all, but a secret staircase leading down.

The sirens were getting louder. Amy looked up. She'd never meant to cause trouble; but she'd made a promise, and Team Rocket had to pay for what they'd done. Still… running unprepared into the base of a criminal organization? She was just a Pokémon trainer! What did she know about all this?

But if she waited for the police… they wouldn't let her go into the base. She had to find out how Team Rocket had gotten into the Pokémon Tower, so she could stop them in Lavender Town.

"Well," The woman began quietly. "What do you think guys? Should we do this by ourselves?"

"Wartortle!"

"Weedle!"

"Nidoran, nido!"

With a deep breath, Amy nodded, and stepped down the stairs.

* * *

"_Intruder alert. Defense system activated."_

"… that doesn't sound good."

Amy flinched from the noise as the speakers blared. Now the whole base knew they were there! This was truly a horrible idea. Grimacing, Amy tried to calm her thundering heart, and started walking further down the hall.

The stairs had closed behind them; even if she wanted to turn back, she couldn't, anymore. Sweat building on her brow, the woman bit her lip as she glanced around a corner. There was another Grunt there, his back to her, working at some sort of computer.

_Well_, she thought, taking another deep breath. _Here goes nothing!_

* * *

The base was absolutely filled with trainers, and traps. Amy and co. couldn't turn a corner without running into something or someone. At first, Amy had been very nervous about fighting so many trainers, but it quickly became apparent that Team Rocket was about quantity, not quality. Most of the trainers didn't seem to know how to raise Pokémon at all. Their strategies were all similar, and focused on brute strength in ways that failed to take their own Pokémon's safety in mind. Often, they sabotaged themselves, so that Amy's team could practically sit back and watch as they defeated themselves.

The traps were a little trickier. It seemed that when intruders entered the base, the floor plans changed. The tiles on the floor became one-way transportation devices, which forced Amy to go in the wrong direction or to fly into corners most of the time. It was like a fun house, but it was no fun at all.

After sliding off yet another set of panels, Amy slid to the floor, clutching her stomach. "Oh, god, where are we now?" She asked dismally, her stomach rising into her throat. Ryan collapsed onto her leg, and Henry was not far behind. Darling had flown off Amy's shoulder during their spinning, and came crawling after with stars in his eyes.

Gasping for breath, Amy let her head fall back against the wall. She was exhausted, yet surprisingly thrilled. For being a criminal base it had been surprisingly easy to get into. None of the trainers were any good. Perhaps this would work out after all…

She forced herself up, leaning against the wall to aid her, and came to stand again. "Come on guys." Amy told them breathlessly. "We're not done yet." The 'boss' was still in this place somewhere, and so was the secret to getting past the ghosts of Lavender Town…

* * *

"Hold it!"

Amy came to a quick halt, doubling back around the corner she'd just turned round. "Hurry!" At her cry, her Pokémon followed after, all scrambling away from the grunts running at them. A few at a time, they'd handled easily, but there were at least twelve filling the hallway ahead of them. Amy fell against the wall, realizing there was nothing she could do. Nowhere to hide, nowhere to run to. She found the key to the elevator, but the hall there was cut off. What could they do?

Heart pounding, sweat soaking her clothes, Amy's chest heaved as she raced to think of something to do. There had to be an answer, a way out of this.

A wall of grunts appeared in front of them. At the sight of the guns aimed at them Amy's heart skipped. Zubats and Koffing filled the air, screeching. The woman froze as hands went for her.

"You're coming with us!"

A blast of water hit the man's arm, and he let go of his gun. Before she'd barely thought of it, Amy reached out and took it. Her hands trembled as she aimed, and even as her enemies backed off a little, they laughed.

"Do you even know how to use that thing, little girl?"

"Point and shoot, it can't be that hard." But she was shivering like a leaf, head spinning, and heart pounding so hard she might faint. Her words only prompted more laughter.

This was – this was a nightmare. What had she been thinking? This was way over her head! Twelve grunts surrounded her and her friends, with loaded weapons, and she had brought them here, she had brought them into this –

Trembling, Amy lowered the gun, a hand rising to cover her mouth. "Alright, I surrender, just – don't hurt them."

Her friends were loud in their disagreement, but there was little they could do. The grunts swarmed them, taking the gun from Amy, grabbing her by the arms and dragging her along with them. The Pokémon bristled and barked but they followed after Amy, giving little trouble but for the noise.

They forced her into the elevator, with her Pokémon, and a few of the grunts came with them. Down it went, down to the lowest basement. Amy realized that this was where she'd been trying to get all along… but she glanced at the men beside her. She couldn't do anything that would risk her friend's safety. She'd been irresponsible enough...

"Move along!" One of them shoved her out of the elevator. She stumbled, hitting her knees on the floor, before being roughly dragged up by her collar. Restraint had her biting her lip instead of cussing the man out.

They pushed and prodded the group along through another hallway, to a set of double doors at the end, which opened when one grunt entered a password. Within was a large office full of finery and ornate furnishings, lit by dim lamps on the wall. They shoved her in, and her Pokemon after her, before stepping in themselves and locking the door behind them. The grunts took their places at the wall, leaving Amy standing in the center of the room, confused, shaken, and halfway to terrified.

She turned narrowed eyes forward, to the desk that took up most of the room, and the chair behind it. It was turned away from her, but it was clear someone was sitting it it.

"So," An even, cultured voice came from behind the desk, speaking with obvious power and authority. Someone used to being listened to. Amy scowled as the man's chair turned round.

_The boss_.


	5. Celadon City

_Hey friends. Sorry updates have been sporadic. Sadly it's been tough writing fanfic lately, for a lot of reasons, one of them being that it seems all the responses I've been getting lately have been negative (this is for all my fics, not this one particularly). I've had very derogatory and bigoted reviews that really got my spirits down, so if you like my fic, it would help so much to hear from you. Thank you._

* * *

"So," The leader of Team Rocket began as he turned his chair round. "This is the intruder who's been causing so much trouble." He was a tall man, with broad shoulders and a tanned complexion, not as dark as Amy, but darker than typical mainland Kanto natives. The man cocked an eyebrow at her, smirking, and the arrogance in his brown eyes infuriated her. "A child."

She was hardly a child! Though she bit her tongue before saying so, because such a reaction was rather childish. Frowning heavily, she approached his desk.

"I'm here to find out what you're doing in Lavender Town." She spoke firmly, her voice belying the anxiety flaring to life in her chest. "Why have your people taken over the Tower? What do you want?"

"It is none of your business, little girl."

"It is my business," Amy insisted, clenching her fists. "When you starting killing Pokémon and terrorizing innocents, it becomes my business."

"You're a little young to be a vigilante," The man replied, which made his men chuckle.

"Aren't you a little old to be so irresponsible?" She shot back. "To let these monkeys run around doing as they please, robbing and killing without thought?"

That brought a more serious edge to his gaze. He stood, and at his full height, towered over Amy and her friends. At her side, she felt Ryan step closer to her, moving protectively in front of her. "Do you know who I am, little girl?"

"No, and I don't care." Fuming, Amy raised her voice, feeling her face flush in anger. She was still terrified, but looking at this arrogant ass and thinking of all the pain he'd so thoughtlessly caused gave her strength. "But you should know who I am. My name is Amy and I'm going to tear your organization apart brick by brick!"

At that, he merely laughed. "Brave words." Stepping out from behind the desk, the man moved smoothly, almost predatorily. As he did, Amy followed him with her eyes, and for the first time, noticed the Persian sitting in the corner of the room, almost entirely in darkness. Its sharp red eyes were stuck on her, narrowed and dark. She shivered, more unnerved by it than by the heavy black gaze looking down at her from the Rocket Leader.

"I am Giovanni," He told her, standing but a foot from her. "You are talented, that is obvious. You might make a worthy addition to my organization. But if you insist upon interrupting my plans, then I have no choice but to teach you the error of your ways." His hand came out of his coat pocket, holding a pokeball. "You are a trainer, yes?"

Gulping, Amy nodded. "Yes."

"Then let us battle. I shall teach you what it truly means to be a Pokémon Trainer."

Bristling at the implied insult, the woman instantly agreed. "Fine! You guys ready?" Her team was with her; Ryan immediately leapt forward, ready to fight.

"This is hardly the place." Giovanni chuckled again, his dark eyes gleaming with some foul intent. He stepped past her, out into the hall, and in an instant, arms were dragging her along again. She wrenched herself out of their grip.

"I can walk by myself!"

They allowed her and her team to walk without being held captive, but guards surrounded them on all sides, as they followed Giovanni to an underground training room. It was expansive, and well lit, obviously another sign of the man's vast fortune.

"Since you have three Pokémon, we shall have a three on three match." Giovanni began, standing at the opposite end of the field. His voice was so potent he barely needed to raise it to be heard. "If you can manage to defeat me, I shall let you go."

"And if I lose?"

The man's smirk took on a vicious edge. "Pray that you do not." And he threw his first pokeball. "Rhyhorn, go!"

From the red glow a Rhyhorn did indeed appear, snarling and scratching at the ground with its great feet. Amy glanced at her team. Ryan was glowering at the creature, half ready to jump into the fray already, bouncing on his heels. While she knew the turtle did have a type advantage, she also knew that Ryan was her strongest Pokémon. It was unlikely Giovanni had started with his highest level Pokémon. With that in mind, Amy made her decision.

"Henry, you're up first!"

The Nidoran chirped as it hopped onto the field. The difference in size between them was… alarming. But Henry stayed his ground like a champ, staring down the much larger creature with no fear. He was angry, too; they all were, Amy realized, glancing from one to another.

The momentary distraction almost cost her; just in time, she heard Giovanni say, "Rhyhorn, tackle," and reacted.

"Dodge it Henry!"

The Nidoran didn't have to be told twice; he dodged left, sliding to a halt a few feet away. The Rhyhorn's attack dented the earth, and Amy winced at the sight, her heartbeat rising. That could've been her _friend_. She glanced up at Giovanni, who still had that infernal smirk on his face.

"You can always surrender."

"Like hell!" She shouted. "Henry, Horn Attack!"

"Nido!" Henry barreled at the creature, who was still facing Amy after his tackle move. The attack hit the beast's side, and it staggered somewhat, but barely moved. Henry, however, was flung back by the force of his own move. He landed on his feet, mostly okay, but it honestly seemed as if he'd been hurt more than the Rhyhorn had.

"Stomp that infant into the ground."

The Rhyhorn bellowed as it turned on Henry, breaking into a run after him. Amy's heart leapt into her throat. "Leap up! Out of the way!" Henry took to the air, his powerful feet propelling him high above the Rhyhorn. The creature's feet slammed into the earth, cracking the ground, and a cold chill ran through Amy. These attacks weren't meant to faint Pokémon; this creature was deadly. It wasn't holding an ounce of strength back.

Struggling to keep her composure, Amy turned back to Henry. "Use your Double Kick on its back!" As Henry fell back to earth, he aimed his little feet at the Rhyhorn. It worked; the momentum of his movement added power to the attack, and it hit four times before the Rhyhorn reared and threw him off.

"Rock blast."

Henry was flung backwards, landing on his side, and as he recovered the Rhyhorn turned round. It dug its horn into the ground, pulling up a chunk of earth, which it then tossed through the air at Henry.

"Dodge it quick!"

Henry reacted just in time, running to the left. More boulders kept flying, and Henry kept moving across the field, dodging one after another, but the fourth boulder met its mark. The Nidoran keened as it fell to the earth, a bad bruise growing on its side. But he stood again, struggling to keep his feet under him, but standing nonetheless.

Tears burned at Amy's eyes at the sight of her friend more badly injured than she'd ever seen. None of their battles had prepared her for this. Trainers were meant to know the limits of their Pokémon's power, and not to injure them, or anyone else's, Pokémon beyond a certain point. But this Giovanni didn't seem to care about that.

"This isn't a battle, it's a death match!" Amy shouted suddenly, hands quaking. "You're going to kill him!"

"He is weak. As are you." The words were like a blow to the chest, and Amy jumped. "Pokémon are useless if they are not powerful. If he cannot win, he will die." The words had barely been uttered before Giovanni shouted another command. "Horn attack!"

The Rhyhorn bellowed, rearing, before breaking into a run. Henry had stumbled; he was still struggling to get up again, and at the sight Amy felt her façade of confidence shatter. "Henry, no!" She had half broken into a run for him, when suddenly, her friend began to glow. The brightness hurt her eyes, but she dared not turn away, panicking as she watched helplessly as the Rhyhorn bore down on Henry…

The light vanished, and Amy gasped in delight; Henry had evolved! A much larger Nidorino stood in his place, and had caught Rhyhorn's horn with his own. The two were struggling against each other, pressing back, each fighting to keep their place.

Mind racing, Amy looked over the scene. "Use your poison sting! Poison sting!"

Henry roared; he tossed his head to the side, shaking Rhyhorn off, and revealing its tender neck. He took the shot, jabbing his horn right into the unprotected flesh. Rhyhorn bellowed in anger and pain, and a moment later, fell to the ground as exhaustion and the poison got to him.

"Return." Giovanni brought the creature back. His smirk had been replaced with a frown, which gave Amy some joy, despite the situation.

"You return, too, Henry." He chirped in reply, making his way over slowly. "You've done enough." She smiled broadly at him, unable to stop a few tears making their way down her face. He was alive, and relief poured through her. But the nightmare wasn't over.

Giovanni threw another ball, and this time, the creature that appeared was enormous: an Onix. They'd fought one before, in Pewter City, but this one was larger, and Giovanni had already shown that his Pokémon were much more violent.

"Okay, Ryan, it's your turn." The turtle Pokémon gave a battle cry, running onto the field. "Water Gun!"

"Smack Down."

In the midst of Ryan's attack, the Onix bellowed, and began to drop its body down upon Ryan. Amy's breath hitched. "_Run_!" The Wartortle moved just in time to avoid being squished. But he had to keep running; the Onix swung its tail right at him, and he only just barely jumped over it. "Climb on his back!" Amy shouted. Ryan halted mid run, turning back around to race at his opponent. Onix was facing away from him, and was too slow to turn round. Ryan climbed up, and once he was halfway up the creature's back, tried his Water Gun again.

"Swat that fly, Onix."

The creature roared, and flung itself back.

"Ryan!"

The turtle leapt off to the side, landing hard on the back of its shell. It just barely avoided being crushed between Onix and the ground.

"Bind, Onix."

"Run for it!"

Ryan leapt to his feet just in time to avoid being swept up by the Onix's tail, and he kept running as it chased after him. Amy watched with growing horror, helplessness drying her throat. Why weren't his Water Gun attacks working?

"Type advantages mean nothing if your Pokémon is weak." Giovanni said, as if reading her mind. He was smirking again. Amy scowled.

"We'll see about that." She turned back to her friend. "Try your Bubble attack!"

Ryan nodded then turned to the Onix. "Wartortle!" A stream of bubbles flew at the creature; it roared, seemingly hurt, but it didn't stop its attack. Ryan had to start running again, and no matter how many times it attacked, the Onix didn't slow down. He was hurting it, but not enough to weaken it.

"Bind."

Ryan was tiring; he tried to dodge, but this time, Onix got him. Amy's heart skipped a beat. "Ryan!" Mind a whir of thought and panic, she shouted to him, "Use Protect!" Just in time, the turtle put up a barrier that shielded him from the worst of the attack.

"How long will it last, I wonder?" Giovanni's cultured voice drew Amy's attention. Her gaze leapt to his arrogant smirk. "Not long, I imagine."

Seething and terrified, Amy ignored him, looking back at Ryan. The Protect barrier had created a cushion between him and Onix. The bind wasn't actually touching him – there was a small space of air between him and his opponent. Could they use that?

"Ryan – drop Protect! Use Rapid Spin!"

Ryan looked surprised, but in an instant, did as she said; the barrier dropped, Onix's bind began to close in, but just as it did, Ryan withdrew and began spinning. His hard protective shell spun fast enough to cut at Onix's tail; the creature roared and drew back, finally hurt.

"Now! Water Gun!"

Still midair, Ryan burst out of his shell, and aimed the attack right at Onix's face. It screeched in pain as the attack blasted him, and the sound wrenched Amy's heart. But Ryan didn't give; this was a fight for their lives, and they couldn't afford mercy.

"Enough." Giovanni muttered finally. "Onix, return." The creature vanished into the red glow. Relief once again flooded her mind, but they weren't out of danger yet, Amy knew. She waited to see who Giovanni would bring out, but the man didn't pull out another pokeball. He glanced to his side, and she followed his gaze. There, in the darkness behind him, were those two red eyes again.

Persian.

He didn't have to say a word. The cat sauntered onto the field, a vicious look on its face. Amy looked at Ryan; he'd fallen onto his back, exhausted. There was no way he could keep going. Henry was pretty tired, too, which left…

"Alright," Amy glanced at her shoulder, where Darling was perched. "Looks like it's up to you."

Giovanni let out a dark chuckle. "That worm will be my Persian's dinner." He declared as Darling scooted onto the field. "If you had evolved it, it might have made a challenge. As a Weedle, it's useless."

"We'll see."

Darling scooted onto the field, glancing back at his trainer with no small amount of fear upon his face. Amy tried to fake an encouraging smile, but she wasn't feeling it. She was terrified, arms shaking like leaves, sweat coating her back and forehead.

"Ready, Darling?"

The Weedle gave a brave chirp, glowering at the smug Persian who stretched and gave a menacing meow. It didn't look back to it's trainer, but it listened for him.

Giovanni grinned. "Take it down."

That was all he had to say; he gave no more commands, no attacks, simply stood back and watched as his Persian went on the assault. Darling leapt out of the way of the first pounce, and the second, and from there began a mad dash about the field to escape it. The Persian was wicked fast, and its sharp claws kept coming closer and closer…

"Darling, stand your ground! Use Poison Sting!"

Amy watched with growing trepidation as Darling did so, sliding to a halt and spinning round right as Persian leapt at him. He took to the air, stinger flying towards his enemy, and though it hit its mark it seemed as if the poison had little to no effect.

"Poison types happen to be my speciality." Giovanni said then. "While not all my Pokemon use poison, they have all been acclimated to it. You'll find Persian is immune to your attacks."

Heart skipping a beat, Amy spat out, "Darling, run!"

He dodged just as the cat's paw sliced downward, but he didn't quite make it away fast enough. The claws caught his tail, long red lines running down his flesh.

"WEEDLE!" The poor thing screeched as he collapsed onto the ground.

"Darling!" The world shrunk to one point, to her friend on the ground, bleeding.

"Weedle is a useless Pokemon." Giovanni started again. Amy barely heard him. "It learns only two moves without evolving. It's base stats are pathetic. Unless you evolve it, it has no purpose. Perhaps now you'll understand."

Finally, she lifted her gaze to his, and found it cold, hard, pitiless. Just seeing him she knew there would be no mercy and her whole body turned to ice.

"Persian, finish it."

"NO!"

Amy barreled across the field to her friend, ignoring the shocked cries of her Pokémon behind her. Neither of them were in any condition to fight; and she wouldn't risk their safety, too. This was all her fault, leaping into this without thought, deciding to put her Pokemon's lives on the line when she had no right to. Her only thought was that she had to set things right, when she fell to her knees over Darling, shielding him from the incoming blow.

As she did, the necklace round her neck fell forward, over the collar of her shirt. The gem sparkled, catching and reflecting the fluorescent lights in the ceiling. The shine caught Giovanni's eye; and when he saw the gem, his eyes went wide, and lost their distant, emotionless hue.

"STOP!"

Persian was all but a foot away from Amy and Darling, yet it immediately halted. Standing with its claws still outstretched, the cat turned back to look at its master with a curious whine. Amy, gasping hard, looked up and followed its gaze. Giovanni looked like he'd seen a ghost.

The man stomped up to them. "Where did you get that?"

Brow furrowed, Amy replied quietly, out of breath, "Get what?"

"Sir!"

Footsteps interrupted them, as more of his grunts ran into the arena. "The police are here! We need to vacate immediately."

"The operation has been compromised, we must retreat."

Gritting his teeth, Giovanni let out a curse, but nodded. "Recover what we can. We will rendezvous…"

The rest became a blur to Amy, whose head dropped down to look at her friend. He was curled up on himself, eyes dim and darkened by pain. There was a small, slowly growing pool of blood at his tail, where four deep groves had been left by Persian's claws. Trembling hands gently scooped up Darling and held him to Amy's chest, though he still whined in pain at the movement.

"I'm sorry…" The woman whispered with a sob. "I'm so sorry!"

"What about the kid?"

"Leave her."

"But –"

"I said leave her! We have – more important concerns." She heard them leave, the doors slamming shut behind her, and only then did she struggle to stand. Turning, she saw Ryan and Henry had joined them in the meanwhile, both exhausted and wounded, but concerned only for Darling.

"He'll be okay," Amy told them. "He – he will be, I promise. We just... have to get him out of here." Sniffling, she lifted her gaze, looking for the door. She hadn't moved a step before they burst open.

"Police! Don't move!"

"Wait…" Amy, shocked, took a step back. "I'm not with them!"

"Put your hands up!"

"I can't! My – My friend, he's hurt!"

One of the officers came up to her, looking down with pity upon Darling, before giving a nod. "We'll take these guys to the Pokemon Center." She turned, and instructed a few of her officers to do just that. "But you are coming with me."

Ryan and Henry began to protest, but Amy nodded. "Just make sure they're okay."

Though they were against it, her friends followed the officers, both turning to look back at Amy. She mouthed, "I'll be fine," to them, before they vanished out the door.

* * *

She was interrogated for over two hours before the police were seemingly satisfied. They didn't let her leave; she sat for another hour or so in the interrogation room, by herself, hands clasped in front of her, head hanging down.

What had she done? What had she almost allowed to happen?

Amy had told the Police everything, but even she didn't quite understand it herself. How could she have been so arrogant, so reckless, as to think to take them on by herself? She'd foolishly risked her own life, and more importantly, the lives of her Pokémon. Surely the Police were going to revoke her license for that. She'd be going home to Pallet Town in shame…

Finally, after what seemed like an age, the door opened. A blue haired police woman stood in the entryway.

"Come on, you're being released." Amy stood fast, and raced to the door.

"My Pokemon," She started as she followed the cop, "Are they alright?"

"You'll have to check with the nurse at the Center, I haven't heard anything." The woman frowned at the mention of them, and Amy felt a pang of guilt and remorse.

"Am I… am I in trouble?"

"Not this time. What you did was brainless, but it was well meant. It helps that somebody rather important in this town vouched for you."

"Really?" Surprised, Amy asked. "Who?"

As she spoke, the two walked through a set of double doors into the main lobby. There, the officer nodded towards the center of the room. "Her."

Amy followed her gaze, and set eyes upon a young woman, wearing a beautiful green and pink kimono. Her hair was dark, and pulled into a high bun, and elegant make up accented her cheeks and eyes. "Her?" Amy gawked. She didn't know the woman. Why would this stranger have stuck up for her?

Perhaps she'd been a bit loud, because suddenly the stranger turned to her, and smiled, crossing the room to her. "You must be the infamous Amy." The trainer blushed at that. "My name is Erika. Would you please come with me?"

"Well, sure." Who was she to say no, if this woman helped her out of a really bad situation? She followed Erika out of the building, and down the street. It was long past evening; the lamps were lit, and the streets mostly empty. It was strangely peaceful, where the day before, walking through Celadon had brought about a tense feeling of ultra-awareness, of being on guard…

"The police may not admit it, but you did the city a great favor. In one day you've manage to accomplish what the police have been trying to do for years."

Chuckling dryly, Amy shook her head. "I'm not so sure about that."

"I am." Amy lifted her head, and met Erika's confident gaze. "I saw the security footage inside the Game Corner. You tore through the Rocket ranks like they were nothing. And even after all that, you managed to put up a damn good fight against their leader himself. You forced their hand. Once a disturbance had been reported at the Corner, the police arrived, and they were able to follow the same path you did. Do you know how many times we've tried to get a permit to search that building? I always knew Rocket was behind it somehow, but we could never prove it."

"Now, they've all left town, and left a lot of their records and supplies behind. Even a few people, who are now rightfully behind bars."

"How do you know all this?" Amy finally asked. "You don't look like a police officer to me. Who are you?"

They came to a halt, and Erika glanced around. Then, she pointed off into the distance, over the buildings. "You see that tall structure back there?"

Amy followed her gaze, and nodded. "Yeah, that's the shopping center. I was there a while ago."

"My family owns that building." Erika dropped her arm. "We own quite a few properties in Celadon. My family is quite respected here, and I have some influence. I've tried using that influence to stop Team Rocket, but I've had only mediocre success."

"I honestly don't think I did any better." Amy glanced down, throat tightening. "I was an idiot, and almost got Darling killed for it."

"Darling?"

"He's my Weedle." Head snapping up, she turned to Erika. "Can we go to the Pokémon Center? I have to know if he's okay."

The other woman nodded. "Of course."

* * *

"Your Weedle is going to be just fine." The nurse at the center told her. Amy let out an immediate sigh of relief, sinking onto the countertop.

"Thank goodness."

"You should be more careful." The nurse's tone sharpened considerably. "No Pokémon should ever be allowed to get to that condition. A wound like that could've easily killed him given enough time!"

Unable to speak over the lump in her throat, Amy just nodded, stiffly. Erika smiled at the nurse. "I'm sure she's learned her lesson. Are her Pokemon ready to go?"

"I'd like to keep Weedle overnight, but your Wartortle and Nidorino are all better." As she spoke, she turned, revealing the long hallway behind her. At the other end, Ryan and Henry were walking towards them. At the sight of her, Ryan gave a whoop and leapt into the air, while Henry started barreling towards her with a pitiful whine.

"Hey, guys!" A warm grin on her face, Amy knelt as they came towards her. "I'm so glad to see your both okay." The feeling seemed to be mutual, if their reactions were any sign. Ryan leapt into her arms, and Henry curled up against her side, nuzzling her leg.

"Come see us in the morning, and Weedle will be ready to go home." The nurse told her as Amy stood again.

"Why don't you stay at my place tonight?" Erika said. "I have plenty of room."

If she was the owner of a shopping center, Amy had no doubt she did. She wouldn't be surprised if the woman lived in a mansion. "Thanks, I appreciate it. We all would."

Ryan and Henry chirped in agreement.

* * *

Erika's home was not a mansion, but the top floor apartment of the building near the Pokémon center. It was certainly large enough that it felt almost grand, even palatial, and it was covered in beautiful plants and flowers.

"Make yourselves at home," The woman told them with a genial smile. Ryan chirped and ran at the large white couch, plopping down belly first on top of it. Henry was content with a spot on the carpet, where he curled up and went almost immediately to sleep.

"You have a lovely home." Amy said. Her eyes trailed over fine pottery, luxurious works of art, and furniture she felt almost nervous to touch. It was all so expensive.

Erika, who had taken to caring for her plants as soon as she walked in, smiled and nodded in thanks. A water pot in one hand, she stepped from pot to pot, standing by each for a few minutes. "Is there anything I can get you? Would you like anything to eat?"

Another surge of guilt quenched any hunger she might've felt. "I'm fine, thanks."

The woman's look turned sympathetic. "You don't look it."

With a sigh, the trainer collapsed onto the couch next to her friend. Ryan turned towards her immediately, flipping onto his back and then sitting up, before scooting close to her side. Amy smiled at the sight, lifting a hand to pet his head. "It's been… quite a night."

"I'd think you'd be celebrating, after such a victory."

Frowning, Amy grunted. "Certainly didn't feel like one. I didn't do what I set out to do."

"And what was that?"

From there, she explained what had happened in Lavender Town, what the old man had told her, and why she had eventually sought out Celadon City. "I came here hoping to help them, and all I did was cause trouble and get my friends hurt."

"That's not true." Erika told her. "It may feel that way, because you suffered a terrible scare. But Team Rocket has left Celadon, and that's a good thing. And your goal may not be so far out of reach." Amy lifted her head. "If this device was in the Rocket Corner, it may have been left behind during the rush to escape."

Hope brightened Amy's eyes. "It could still be there!"

"More likely, the police took it, along with everything else." Erika finished watering her last plant, and set the bucket aside, coming to sit on the couch opposite Amy. "I have a deal for you. I will speak to the police on your behalf, and have them lend the device to you for a short time."

"What do you want in return?"

"I want you to stay here and train with me."

Amy cocked an eyebrow. "That's a bit of a weird trade. You don't seem to get anything out of it."

"On the contrary." Erika smiled. "You stopped Team Rocket here, and you hope to stop them once again in Lavender Town, an admirable goal. I would like to see you accomplish it. But first, you and your Pokémon need more training. You must be ready for them when you meet them again. Don't you agree?"

The woman sat quietly for a moment, deep in thought, before she nodded. "Yeah. You're right. I agree."

Erika smirked. "Then we start in the morning."


	6. Celadon to Pokemon Tower

For two weeks, Amy and her team remained with Erika and worked on their skills. It was training unlike any they'd had before, and it involved more than just typical battling skills. From the safest ways to throw a punch, to the most routine hacking skills, Amy was instructed in a myriad of things she might need while taking on Team Rocket.

With time, and practice, she found her spirits lifting. The near fatal defeat at Giovanni's hands had been both terrifying and disheartening; but seeing her team working hard to improve gave her hope.

But there was one decision that simply had to be made.

"I hate to say it, but your opponent was right," Erika had told her, on the fourth day of training. "Weedles aren't really made for battle. You're going to have to decide whether to evolve it, or simply leave it out of combat altogether."

Amy wouldn't force Darling to evolve just to fight. And so she resolved to keep him from fighting altogether.

"Not every Pokemon is meant for battle." Amy had told her new-found friend.

"I agree," Erika replied. "But given your goals, it may be dangerous to bring him along with you."

Amy knew that – but she couldn't just leave Darling behind. "I'll take care of him, this time," She promised. Darling, sitting curled on her shoulder, gave a coo of delight. On his tail he still wore the bandages which protected his wound. In time, it would heal, but it would undoubtedly leave a permanent scar.

Once the two weeks were up, they finished their training with one last battle: Amy vs. Erika, the gym leader of Celadon City. (When she found out, Amy had been rather embarrassed. She felt like such a country bumpkin, running around Kanto not even knowing who the gym leaders were!) She won, and was rewarded not only with a Badge, but with the device she'd been looking for: the Silph Scope.

"Be careful." Erika told her when she handed both over. "I believe you have improved greatly, but Team Rocket is terribly dangerous. Don't underestimate them."

"I won't." The trainer insisted. "Thanks for all of your help." A chorus of cheers came from the Pokemon as well, as Henry, Ryan, and Darling all gave their thanks.

"I have one last request of you." Erika said, just before Amy turned to leave. "The Police found something else in the Rocket Corner: a Pokémon." Turning, she gestured to one of her disciples. They stepped forward, carrying a Pokeball.

"You – want me to have it?" Gently, Amy took the ball, curiosity warring with uncertainty inside her. "Are you sure? Maybe you should keep it…"

Erika chuckled. "Somehow, I don't think it would fit in well at the gym."

Unable to stop herself, Amy threw the ball. From the bright light emerged a large, fluffy creature, with white and red fur. It shook itself with a chirp, then lifted its paw and gave it a lick.

"This is a Flareon." Erika began, even before Amy had finished taking out her Pokedex. "As a fire type, I feel it would benefit from a more suitable environment than a Grass type gym. I think you'll take very good care of her."

Kneeling, Amy looked over the beautiful Flareon in awe, heart pounding in her chest. "Hey," She smiled, as the Flareon glanced to her, sitting on its hind legs. "You want to come with me?"

It looked her over, seemingly unconcerned, then gave a happy chirp.

"I'll take that as a yes." Amy grinned.

* * *

On their way out of town, Amy stopped by the Rocket Corner one last time.

The outside was blocked off, a big 'for sale' sign in the window. Through the glass, she could see the damage caused by her battle, the tables knocked over, ceiling lamps busted, debris everywhere. She felt a little guilty for it, but only for the innocent people who'd almost gotten caught in the crossfire. Team Rocket deserved all the trouble they got.

As Amy was examining the scene, she realized quite suddenly that it wasn't as unoccupied as she'd thought. There was someone inside the building! A Rocket member returning to find some misplaced item? They were hooded, and cloaked, so she couldn't see their face. It had to be a Rocket member…

She hated to get in trouble with the police twice, but by the time she called them, surely he'd be long gone. "Alright, guys, looks like we're breaking in. You up for it?"

Ryan punched the air, before turning to the window. He reeled his arm back, ready to have at it, but Amy grabbed him. "Wait! No, that'll hurt. I have a better idea." Glancing at their newest team member, Amy smiled.

Suzanne, the Flareon, was sitting in the back, stretching her legs. When she noticed Amy looking at her, she blinked. "Mind making a way in for us?" She asked. Suzanne gave a happy chirp, before bounding to the front. All it took was one blast of her Flamethrower, and the glass window was done for.

The man inside gave a jump at the sudden attack. "Don't move!" Amy jumped through the window just as the man had been about to run for the door. "Who are you? Are you from Team Rocket?"

The stranger froze, turning to her, before letting out a laugh. '_Of course. It had to be you.'_

_Wait a minute, _Amy thought, eyes going wide. _That voice!_

The stranger lifted their hand, removing the hood, revealing a human face. But Amy looked into their purple eyes, and knew who it had to be.

"Frodo!"

* * *

"I told you to stop calling me that."

Amy shrugged, shoveling another bite of food into her mouth. "Well, it's all I got until you give me a proper name." She said without shame, grinning at her somewhat-friend.

The Pokémon-in-disguise gave a huff, glowering at her. "I suppose you won't give up until you know?"

"Course not."

"I thought as much." He turned away, gazing off across the room, deep in thought again. He seemed prone to that. Talking to him was about as much fun as watching paint dry.

He looked very strange, as a human being. All the similar physical traits were there: he was very tall, with narrowed eyes and high cheek bones, a broad frame and powerful muscles. His eyes were bright purple, discerning, and had strangely shaped pupils.

"So, if you can change your whole appearance, why not change your eyes?"

"I do not 'change my appearance'," Frodo barked back. "It is an illusion. You only think that this is what you see, because I wish it."

"More psychic mumbo-jumbo then." A thought occurred to her. "Does that mean if I touch you, it'll feel like fur?"

That brought a smirk to his lips. He lifted his arm, and nodded to it. Taking the invitation, Amy touched his hand, and felt human skin. "Amazing!" She gasped. "This is all just in my head?"

"Precisely."

"And everybody here sees you as a human?"

"Yes," Frodo replied, gazing around the Pokémon Center. "It is – exhausting. For that reason I do not travel among humans often."

"Why not just be yourself?"

He looked at her sharply, as if she were a very ignorant child. "Why do you think?"

Blushing a bit, she returned to eating her meal, and shrugged. To be honest, she wasn't sure what to think. 'Frodo' was unlike anyone else she'd ever met. He was a Pokémon, for certain, but he acted more like a human being, and he was certain on par with one intellect wise. His powers were beyond belief, and on top of it all, he was a mystery. Who he was and where he came from, she was almost dying to know.

But she didn't pry; she was almost afraid to scare him off (as if she could be frightening to him). She enjoyed his company, and she didn't get much company on the road. The last person, before Erika, had been…

"Hey!" The thought occurred to her suddenly. "You're psychic, right?" He cocked an eyebrow and simply stared at her. "Ah, yeah, rhetorical question. Do you think you could help out a friend of mine?"

He hesitated for a moment, before sighing. "What friend?"

* * *

She explained on the road out of Celadon, about an hour after their lunch. 'Frodo' didn't eat anything; Amy was beginning to wonder if he ever had to eat at all. Or maybe he simply didn't eat human food? She thought to offer him some of the Poke Pellets she had, but somehow, she imagined he'd be insulted.

"Team Rocket is up to more of their tricks," The Pokémon muttered, after her explanation. His tone was dark, almost harsh, in its anger.

"That reminds me," Amy replied, turning to him. "Why were you at the Rocket Corner?"

'Frodo' glanced away. "I have… history with Team Rocket. When I heard they'd been attacked and defeated, I was curious."

"Wartortle!" Ryan cheered suddenly, turning and walking backwards so he could speak face-to-face with 'Frodo'. "War, tortle tortle, Wartortle tortle."

"Is that so?" 'Frodo' smirked. "He says that all of you were the heroes who 'kicked their asses."

Amy flushed scarlet. "I don't know about that. We tried, but..." Images of Giovanni, his dark empty eyes, his pitiless grin, flashed through her mind, and she shuddered. "We didn't do so well."

On her shoulder, she felt Darling shiver, curling in on himself. She lifted a hand, offering to cradle him, and he gladly climbed onto her arm. She held him up against her chest, where he closed his eyes to nap.

The motion drew 'Frodo's attention to the scar upon his tail. "I see." He replied quietly. "I am sorry you suffered. Team Rocket is nefarious and heartless."

"Yeah, I learned that the hard way."

"As did I."

Glancing his way, Amy cocked her head. "Mind if I ask how?" He met her eyes, gaze darkening.

"I would rather not say."

She nodded, and looked back to the road ahead. The bike path to Lavender was on their left.

"Somehow, I can't imagine you on a bike." Amy grinned at him, moving to get her own bike out of her bag. Darling climbed back up onto her arm, blinking drowsily.

"I will not need to… though, perhaps I can risk dropping the illusion for now. I find it draining." With that simple comment, the human façade melted away, and standing before her was the same mysterious Pokémon she'd seen in Cerulean.

"That is a neat trick." She grinned as she stepped onto the bike. Then, she glanced at her ride. Before, her Pokémon had been much smaller. A Squirtle, Nidoran, and Weedle could squeeze into the bike baskets. But a Wartortle, Nidorino, Weedle, _and_ Flareon? "Oh, boy."

'_Allow me._'

In his natural form, 'Frodo's' psychic voice made a comeback, as did his powers. In an instant, three of her Pokémon became shrouded in a purple glow, and slowly took to the air! Ryan wobbled for a moment, disconcerted, before grinning brightly and cheering. He started to swim through the air like it was water.

Suzanne, too, seemed pleased, giving a happy cry before floating along towards the door. Henry, however, looked a bit nervous, almost airsick. Amy winced in sympathy.

"Maybe you could ride in the basket." She offered. Henry gave an empathetic nod, and 'Frodo' floated him over to it, before gently setting him inside it. Darling remained on Amy's shoulder.

Then they were off, back to Lavender Town. The thought made Amy a bit nervous… no, more than nervous. She was afraid. Celadon City had been frightening enough, and it was for the most part a welcoming place. But there was something wrong about Lavender Town. Something – horrifying about it.

But she'd made a promise, and she had a friend to see.

"Well," Amy sighed, her throat drying with the words. "Here goes nothing."

* * *

The moment they stepped outside the bike path, they were swamped in fog.

'Frodo', who had floated along beside the bike, set Ryan and Suzanne down on the ground again, and they almost vanished into the thick cloud. The turtle blinked, shaking his head and grumbling at it. The sight of it brought a well of uneasiness over Amy.

"Well, here we are," She whispered dryly. She turned to her friend. "Feeling alright so far?"

He'd already put the disguise back up. "Fine, thus far." Then he turned to her, and nodded. "Lead the way."

Her bike stowed in her pack, she nodded, and started walking. Ryan moved closer to her side, practically walking in her shadow, shivering nervously. She didn't like seeing him so afraid. _The sooner we can finish up here, the better._

"There's a man in town we should stop by and talk to. He seems to know a lot about what's going on here." Amy told him as they came to the outskirts of town. It was as lonely and eerie as ever; the streets deserted and foggy, lit only by the dim street lights, the houses spread out and distant, as if even they were isolated and afraid…

"Hey, you okay?"

'Frodo' was gripping his head and grimacing. For a moment, Amy thought she even saw the disguise flash. "I am – fine. But you are right; something is very wrong here. There is a… presence…" Dropping his arm, he turned to look towards the distance. "It is not happy I am here."

Amy walked up to him, following his gaze. Through the murky fog, cutting through the dark sky, was the Pokemon Tower. "It's there?" 'Frodo' nodded. "That's the place Mr. Fuji said Team Rocket had taken over."

"If they murdered this creature, perhaps it seeks them out, in vengeance." Sneering, 'Frodo' turned away. "Perhaps we should let it."

"The best thing for that creature is to find peace." Amy stepped past him with a frown. "We may not like Team Rocket, but I don't think we should let this tormented thing do our dirty work for us."

That seemed to change his mind. "Yes, you are right." He nodded. Assured of his agreement, Amy took a moment to make sure her team was all present, before heading on to Mr. Fuji's.

The light at the front was on when she arrived, but no one answered the door. Worry began tickling her throat. "Hello?" Amy called, trying to lean over and check the window. "Is anybody home?"

"Someone is inside the house." 'Frodo' assured her. Amy knocked again.

On her fourth knock, someone finally answered. The door opened only a smidge, and through the crack, Amy could barely see a face. "H – Hello?"

"What do you want?"

"Uh, my name is Amy? I'm a friend of Mr. Fuji's."

"He's not here."

"When will he be back?"

At that, the door parted a bit more; a somber face appeared in the doorway, the face of a teenage girl. "I – I don't know. He left the house yesterday, saying he'd had enough of those Rockets and was going to put a stop to this once and for all." Amy's breath caught in her throat. "He stormed off to the tower and we haven't seen him since!"

Amy and 'Frodo' shared a quick glance. "I see." Amy said. "Thank you for your time." The door shut, and Amy spun round.

"I suppose we are going after him?"

"We have to! The poor guy is probably in way over his head!" The Rockets were ruthless, she knew that now. Terror seized her gut at the thought of what they might do to that poor old man… Clenching her fists, she turned on 'Frodo'. "Why? Don't you want to?"

He held up his hands defensively. "I would not leave him to Team Rocket's hands. But handling the creature may be the more… immediate threat."

Brow furrowing, Amy crossed her arms. "Why is that?"

Her friend's look darkened. "Because it knows I am here, and it is angry."

* * *

Pokemon Tower was an enormous grey structure towering over the town's skyline. It was by far the largest building in the city, and the most grim. It seemed almost crooked as they approached it, as if it were leaning dangerously far forward, looming over them… and unlike all else in the town, the fog didn't seem to make it disappear; instead, the fog almost seemed to avoid it, as if there were a barrier in place all around it.

Just looking at it put Amy's hair on end. Ryan was no better; he looked ready to run, trembling in his shell. The sight made Amy cringe in sympathy. "If any of you want to go back to Mr. Fuji's house and wait for me, that's just fine." She told her four friends. At that, she received four passionate denials, even from Ryan and the newcomer Suzanne. At her offer, Ryan seemed to realize how he was acting and shook his head fervently, puffing up his shell, and taking a protective stance in front of his trainer.

Once that was settled Amy turned to 'Frodo'. "So…" She began tensely. "What now?" Her palms were sweaty, hands trembling slightly at her sides. She tried to still them by clenching her fists tight.

"The ghost is displeased with my presence; it will attack me once we enter its domain. From there, I do not know. I will have to fight it, and I do not know what good that will do."

"Can't you beat it?"

"How does one 'beat' a ghost?" He asked with a quizzical frown. "Ghost Pokémon, I have conquered. But a truly dead spirit? I – don't know."

"Ghosts are weak against Psychics, right?"

"Ghost Pokémon, yes. But… perhaps this ghost is as well. That would explain its defensive reactions to the psychics in this town."

"It's afraid." Amy muttered.

"I suppose." They began to approach the front steps. "Though why it is afraid I do not quite understand…"

"My mom told me plenty of ghost stories as a kid." Amy started as they came to the double doors. They were enormous, made of stone and colored a dark purple. On the front, prayers and well wishes were carved into them. Amy eyed them with ever-growing solemnity, feeling the full impact of the place hitting her. This was a tomb, and they were entering sacred ground. "Ghosts never hang around for no reason. They have a purpose, something they have to do. Maybe this ghost is afraid you'll keep it from its purpose."

'Frodo' did not look convinced.

At the doors, Amy hesitated, hands on the doorknob. She took one last deep breath, and pulled. They gave an echoing groan as they came free, revealing a dark interior that hadn't seen light in weeks. The lamps had all burned out, left unattended after Team Rocket took over. The smell of incense and candles was overwhelming.

They stepped inside, footsteps echoing upon the stone, even more disturbing than the silence. Amy couldn't help another shudder. Already around them she could see tombstones and epitaphs, and the sight made her heart ache.

"Well," She asked tremulously. "Where's our ghost?"

"Not here," 'Frodo' told her. "Higher up. We must keep climbing."

"Great." Amy muttered weakly, stepping closer to the Psychic. "Then let's keep moving." Darling, glancing around the room with fearful eyes, gave a weak cry and moved behind Amy's neck, taking shelter under the curtain of her hair.

* * *

They kept climbing, higher and higher, through ever tighter and darker rooms. All around them were the remnants of the dead, their graves, and the gifts left by the loved ones they'd left behind. Wilting flowers, burned candles and incense, teddy bears and cards… Amy had to blink away tears more than a few times. The sight was simply too raw for her, after…

The sight of Darling curled up on the floor, in a pool of his own blood…

Caught up in memories and sorrow, Amy became distracted, and she tripped on one of the stairs; but she didn't hit the floor. A hand grabbed her arm, but it wasn't human. It was soft, and the grip was amazingly strong. Glancing up, Amy caught 'Frodo's eyes. He'd dropped the disguise, and was looking at her with a narrowed gaze.

'_Are you all right?_'

She nodded quickly. "Y – yeah, I'll be fine." She sniffled. He looked over her, before nodding, and letting go of her arm.

Up they went, further up the staircase, until they came out on the second-highest level of the tower. 'Frodo' froze in the doorway, lifting his head.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked, moving quickly to his side. "Is it –?"

An ungodly screech filled the air, and Amy slapped her hands over her ears.

'_Get down!'_

Amy fell to the ground just as an explosion rocked the air; dust clouded her vision and when she inhaled in a panicked gasp, her mouth. She coughed as she crawled forward, moving away from the stairs, trying to see her friend. "Frodo, where are you?"

'_Stay where you are!_' Another explosion, the sound of stone tearing apart, and a wail like someone dying. Poor Darling whined, curling into Amy, as the woman stood.

"Where is it?"

'_I cannot see it! Use the Scope!'_

Of course! Leaning against the wall, Amy quickly flung her bag off her shoulder and dug into it. The tower rocked; it was as if the whole thing might come down. She flinched at another screech, heart pounding in her chest, ears ringing.

Ryan, Henry, and Suzanne had all gathered protectively around her, but none of them seemed to know what to do. They looked about, searching for the opponent, but none of them could see it. Confused and afraid, they remained close to their trainer, waiting for orders.

She took the Scope out of her bag, and slipped it on. The tint of the glass was blue, and made the world strangely dark… she flipped the switch on the side and heard them come on with a whir. They brightened slightly; a meter on the side of her vision started to rise… as she turned to the left, it rose slightly… was it an indicator? She stood, moving slowly and carefully, turning her gaze all around.

"I can't see it yet!"

'_Keep looking!'_

'Frodo' was in the far corner, but he kept moving, constantly dodging blows that seemed to come from nowhere. Suddenly, a gravestone would erupt as if it had been obliterated by a heavy-duty punch, or the ceiling would drop down on him in great chunks. He had to keep moving to be safe. He had a barrier up around him, but it didn't seem to work well; something about the ghost was negating it.

Halfway to panicking, Amy started turning her gaze hurriedly, looking for any sign of the mysterious entity… where could the damn ghost be?

Another explosion, this time one of the walls flying inward on 'Frodo' as he ran past it, trying to escape a different blow. It caught him, hard, flinging him across the room into a large stone monument. He hit it hard and let out a whining groan, before hitting the floor.

"NO!" Amy barreled towards him, but when she was halfway to him, felt her feet leave the floor before she was flung back the way she'd come. She hit the wall hard, groaning as she slide to the floor.

Ryan gave a roar at that, bounding forward. He started sending blasts of water every which way into the air, trying to hit something, and Suzanne followed his example with fire blasts. Neither of them did any good, and a moment later, twin invisible attacks flung them back, knocking them away.

"Don't fight it!" Amy told them, sitting up with a wince. "We're no match." They couldn't beat a ghost with physical power. Opening her eyes, she kept looking for it, though her vision was somewhat foggy after hitting her head. Straight ahead of her, 'Frodo' had stood up again, and was glancing around, looking for signs of it himself. "Can't you sense it or something?"

'_Ghosts have no minds, they cannot be felt the way the living can. I could attack it, if I knew where it was!'_

"On it!" Amy bounded back out into the room. She was doing no good on the sidelines. "Keep it busy for a bit longer okay?" If she could get to the center of the room and get a good look around, maybe she'd finally catch a glimpse of it.

It was on her way there that she saw something bright blue in the corner of her vision; she turned, sliding to a halt. Yes, there it was! In her eyes, it looked like a star, shimmering brightly, in the shape of a… a Marowak. Cubone's mother.

"Mr. Fuji was right," Amy whispered breathlessly.

The ghost was hovering behind 'Frodo' some distance, watching it with a furious expression, and as Amy watched it gave another wailing screech, and lifted its arms. 'Frodo' couldn't see it, his back was to it, Amy realized he wasn't going to move in time…

"LOOK OUT!"

She barreled towards the ghost, unsure of what to do. Acting purely on instinct, with fear pounding in her ears, Amy leapt at the blue blur… it turned on her just as she leapt towards it, screeching, and she hit it and suddenly the whole world went white…

'_AMY!_'

* * *

_Pain… so much pain… and she hears them, the ones doing the hurting, laughing… they are laughing, they enjoy pain… and when they are done, they will take her child, and they will hurt him… they will take all the Pokemon…_

_She watches them, follows them… they have plans. Plans for the tower. To disturb the spirits, to hurt the living and the dead… she hates them… she feels loathing with all her being, such hate as cannot be described… she will stop them… will hurt them…_

_But they realize, they know. They have ways of keeping her out. Such anger! Such hate! She burns, that she cannot get them… but she will wait… if she must, she will wait forever…._

_So she stays, in the tower, waiting for them… waiting to find them, kill them… the longer she waits, the more she is filled with hate… such hate… she will hurt them, kill them (who? Kill who?) kill… kill…_

_Amy knows these aren't her thoughts, or her memories; they are blurred, foggy, as if from long ago… but Amy tries, tries to reach out, to share… 'I know your pain', she thinks, 'I've felt it too'. She shows, she lets the ghost feel her pain, her anger, her suffering… seeing Darling on the floor… the blood…oh the blood…_

_She is angry, too. She hates. She is going to stop them, no matter what it takes. She will stop them._

'_Please… trust me to stop them. Let go of this hate.'_

'_Let go.'_


	7. Lavender Town

The tower rumbled; like a faraway rockslide, crumbling beneath them ominously. The grunt beside Petral gave a curse, glancing towards the doorway. Petrel had like thoughts. It had been three days since the ghost made its appearance and trapped them, and they still had no idea how to get out.

Then, the old man showed up.

"How'd you get past it?" Petrel wasn't really paying attention to the interrogation. Thus far, it hadn't done much. The old guy didn't seem to care about threats, or bruises, and honestly, Petrel wasn't really a fan of beating up old folks. Still, this was a doozy of a situation. The only thing keeping them from being ghost chow was the protection on the doors to the top floor, put down by the keepers of the tower. A week ago, he'd of laughed at such superstitious mumbo-jumbo. But now?

Another rumbling. It felt like the damn tower was going to come out from beneath them. No good. Trapped, and no closer to completing the objective.

"Why's he need three bases, anyway?" Petrel grumbled to himself, thinking of the boss. "He's got Celadon and Saffron. Nobody gives a damn about this town anyway."

Another rumble – but this was much closer. Everyone in the room stiffened, the grunts letting up on their interrogation to glance at the door. "You hear that?"

"Course I heard that," Petrel replied, rubbing his nose. How could he not have? It sounded like an earthquake… was it coming from the bottom of the stairs? Was that thing fighting its way through? Well, at least Giovanni wouldn't kill him for failing. The ghost would do it for him.

One last rumble, then a thunderous boom, like lightning had hit the tower itself. Then, for the first time in days, the whole tower went quiet. Petrel didn't like it. It was – unnatural, too still. His hand drifted towards his belt.

Suddenly, the doors to the top floor burst inward, flung against the side walls and crumbling to dust. Petrel practically fell over himself leaping back, cussing up a storm as he stumbled away. He didn't sign up for hauntings! This wasn't in his contract!

But, wait… that was no ghost. In the midst of the dust and debris stood a woman, an older teen probably, with long brown hair and dark skin. Looked like a Pokémon trainer, by her way of dress, but he'd never seen a trainer with such cold eyes.

"You're a fool for messing with Team Rocket!"

Petrel blinked. Who had said that? Then he suddenly realized that, unlike him, his companions were actually challenging the woman. Were they nuts? Couldn't they see something was wrong with her? That she'd destroyed the stone doors by herself? That she was just standing there, arms limp at her sides, glaring at them with those pitiless, empty eyes…

Still, for his own sake, Petrel didn't say a word as the first grunt approached her. He didn't even get his hand on a pokeball before he was suddenly gasping for breath, clutching at his throat. Then, his feet started to leave the ground. Petrel's heart leapt into his throat as the grunt started fucking floating in the air, covered in a red glow, struggling for his life in vain…

"Amy!"

Footsteps came pounding up the staircase, and somebody else entered the room. Petrel hardly looked at them; he was transfixed by the woman, now glowing red, one hand lifted towards the grunt, fingers splayed. There was a small grin on her face, like she was enjoying his pain. Like she was reveling in it.

"Amy, stop!"

Petrel watched as the other person, a tall man with purple hair, tried to approach her, only to be flung backwards. Only, he didn't hit the wall. A purple barrier grew to life around him, cushioning him. He began to float too, and that was when Petrel really started to curse his fucking luck and wonder when it was he'd entered an episode of the X-Files.

The second grunt started to scream, falling to his knees. "My head!" Clutching at his skull, almost tearing at his hair, the man fell to the floor, forehead press to the cold stone tiles. The old man they'd both been tormenting sat between them, completely unbothered, breathing hard from his injuries. He looked at the woman causing all this terror and he didn't blink, he just stood up. Petrel had half a mind to ask him what the hell was going on, but he was too terrified to speak.

"Amy, you must stop!" The other man spoke again. He had lifted his hands, and was obviously trying to intervene, with little success. This "Amy" didn't seem to be listening. She had both hands lifted now, one on each grunt, and – and then she looked at Petrel. His heart skipped a beat.

"Oh, shit!"

"Departed one," The old man spoke, standing in the center of the chaos like it was nothing. "I weep for your pain and your loss, and I lament your suffering. But do not torment those who have done you no wrong. Release the girl."

"**You know nothing of our pain**," Amy retorted darkly, her voice weirdly augmented. The windows began to rattle, and it felt as if the room itself was shaking. "**Nothing of our sorrow**."

"This can only cause more pain and sorrow. Do not force this girl to murder for your vengeance. Allow them to live and be brought to justice."

"_**This is justice!"**_

A howling screech tore through the air; glass shattered, the altar Petrel was hiding behind began to crumble and fall apart. He clambered away, but safe spots in the room were becoming scarce. Soon, the whole thing was going to fall apart.

"Amy, listen to me, you must fight its control. You must help me to free you!" The purple-haired one spoke again. He was struggling to move closer to Amy, despite the power forcing him back.

"**Do not interfere!"**

"This is wrong." The old man insisted. "To make right the wrongs done against you, you would commit wrongdoing against another? This girl does not deserve to be made your puppet. Let her go."

Perhaps it was working – perhaps the ghost was tiring – whatever it was, the woman was breathing hard and sweating, her arms beginning to slump. She looked like she was fighting it off, but it wasn't an easy battle. Suddenly, she fell forward into herself, arms wrapped around her torso as she fell to her knees. The grunts both collapsed, and Petrel had a feeling at least one of them might be dead.

"Amy!"

Both men scrambled for her, and Petrel took his chance; he ran for the door, and never looked back.

* * *

When Amy came to herself, her body was heavy as a sack of stones, and her mind laden with fog. Everything hurt. Opening her eyes hurt, the world was too bright, so she winced and squinted as she sat up. Where… where was she? What had happened? What was…

_The tower_.

It came back in a sudden, sickening rush, and Amy resisted the urge to hurl. Her whole body stiffened, held by the terror and pain of that event, of – of being –

_Let go. Trust me to bring them to justice. I understand your pain._

_No, human. You do not yet understand. But you will. We will make them pay._

She had… tried to reason with it, but… what had happened?

A knock came at the door. Brought out of her thoughts, Amy glanced around. She was in a small bedroom, lying in bed, and when the door opened, she saw Frodo in his human disguise.

The – Pokémon? Man? – stood solemnly in the doorway, seeming to be debating whether or not to come in. Clutching nervously at the bed covers, Amy tried to smile.

"Uh, good morning?" Her voice was hoarse, throat dry. At her greeting, Frodo finally did come in, and in his hand was a glass of water. "Thanks."

He handed it over, and took a seat on the side of the bed. "How much do you remember?"

Amy took a few gulps, then shook her head. "Basically nothing. I remember going to the tower, facing it, that it attacked me… then it's all blank."

Frodo hesitated for a moment. "I – wiped your memory of it." Amy startled, looking at him. He could do that? "It was not a pleasant experience, and I did not think you should have to relive it. If I have overstepped, I can reverse it –"

"No, I, I think you're right." Amy said, holding up a hand. She set the water glass on the side table. "Given my impression of that day… maybe it's for the best."

The spirit had been so, so angry… its rage and pain had been completely overwhelming. And it's death… she had felt it die, felt it suffering so many blows…

"I could… try and take more of it?" Frodo, perhaps realizing what had distracted her, said. "I fear to tamper too much with the minds of others, but this was a very special case."

"No, it's okay." Amy forced herself to say, ignoring the bitterness in her throat. She felt raw, turned inside out. "I'll deal. And thanks for getting it out of me."

"I didn't." Frodo admitted. "I believe you fought your own way free. The spirit tried to take advantage of your anger and fear over Darling's near-fatal injury, but Mr. Fuji stood up to it. Perhaps it heard him."

"Is it – gone?"

"Yes," A new voice entered the conversation. Amy and Frodo both turned to the door, where Mr. Fuji stood. "The spirit of Cubone's mother has finally passed on from this world. It let go of its pain, and found peace."

A small smile found its way to Amy's lips. "I'm… glad."

Mr. Fuji smiled in return. "I am only sorry it took such trouble on your part for it to happen. For that, and for rescuing me, I want to thank you both."

"It was the right thing to do," Amy told him. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"I'm not the only one." His smile became a beaming grin. "Once the spirit was defeated, it seemed the whole town started feeling a bit better, including that friend of yours."

Sabrina! Grinning herself, Amy moved to stand. "Where is she? Is she here?"

"Still recuperating in the hospital, but she should be released sometime tomorrow." Frodo replied for him. He lifted a hand, and pushed Amy back to the bed. "Until then, you should rest as well."

Amy wanted to contradict him… there was so much to do, so much… yet, she was so tired…

_In her dreams, Amy remembered some; not of the event, not of being possessed… of something else…_

_Afterwards, when the ghost was gone, her mind had been in turmoil. The human mind wasn't mean to handle such things. With no other choice, Mewtwo – _Mewtwo, his name is Mewtwo_ – had entered her mind, hoping to set it to rights and restore her to consciousness…_

_In doing so, their minds touched, their thoughts intermingling, feelings interwoven, as they must be in so close a connection. And as Mewtwo focused on healing the damage Marowak had done, he could not think to defend his own mind from intrusion… and really, Amy hadn't known what she was doing… she was half in a coma, unused to such experiences…_

_Fear. Mewtwo's mind was filled with overwhelming fear. Why? Fear for her? No… he did fear for her, felt concern for her, but this fear was much different… it was terror, bone-numbing terror, the kind one felt in the dark of night when the wind is howling and it seems the whole world is a threat one cannot possibly know. This was the fear of death, the fear of the worst the world has to offer, something primal and innate, the fear of losing all one has…_

_Mewtwo was terrified._

_Why? _

_Why… _

* * *

"Mewtwo."

Mewtwo startled enough that his illusion flickered, and he turned wide purple eyes towards Amy.

"Do not use that name so easily!" He insisted, the human façade returning. "It is – not safe."

"That's your name, isn't it?" Amy mumbled sleepily. "I don't know why I didn't remember before."

"It took your mind time to adjust to… Everything. " He explained weakly. Honestly, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. _Psychic mumbo-jumbo._ But she did have plenty of questions.

"What happened to Team Rocket? Are they gone? What did they want?"

"They are… gone." Mewtwo said quietly. "The police have entered the tower, and given what was left behind, it seems Team Rocket had been in the process of transforming the building into a base."

"The Pokémon Tower? Why?"

"It could easily be used to turn a profit, if done correctly." Mewtwo answered with a shrug. He was sitting in a chair across the room, on its very edge, and leaning forward, and it looked dreadfully uncomfortable and unnatural. Until Amy remembered that Mewtwo had a rather large tail. "Undoubtedly that is what they wanted: to turn the grave tower into a commercial enterprise."

A sick feeling twisted through Amy's stomach. "I really hate them."

"Yes," Mewtwo grumbled. "The feeling is mutual."

* * *

Marowak's tribute was still there on the side of the road when Amy walked by the next day.

Seeing it, she was hit with Marowak's memories – the brutal blows raining down, the agony, the terror, and most of all, the anger – and for a moment it almost overcame her. Sudden, sharp pain thrust itself like a dagger between her eyes and she winced. When she opened her eyes, it was gone. She was just standing on a street corner, looking at bouquets of flowers, set over the scene of a crime that should never have been allowed to happen.

Amy clenched her fists.

Behind her came footsteps. Not those of a certain psychic Pokémon masquerading as human; but of an actual psychic human. Sabrina came to stand beside Amy, bowing her head in reverence, before speaking.

"You are going after them."

Grimacing, she nodded. "Yeah."

"Undoubtedly, they are behind the barrier around my city." Sabrina continued.

"First Celadon, then Lavender, and now Saffron." Amy started. "I just don't get it. How can you be so heartless and greedy as to think something like this is okay?"

If she closed her eyes, she could hear Cubone crying… Amy gritted her teeth.

"Some people are simply unjust and cruel." The other trainer told her. Then, she turned to Amy. "If you are going to Saffron to stop them, allow me to help you. I am Saffron's gym leader, it is my duty."

Amy's jaw almost dropped. _Another gym leader?_ "I… yeah. I could use the help, to be honest." After her last two attempts, she was a little afraid of what might happen when she faced up against them.

"Good." Sabrina replied, turning to walk away. "We will leave come morning."

As she walked off, Amy turned to look at the grave site one last time. Then, with a bitter frown, she turned and ran away.

* * *

Mr. Fuji's daycare was lively again. Children and Pokémon were all about… it was loud, and distracting, just what Amy needed. She smiled, sitting in a corner of the room with a cup of tea, watching them all play. It was nice to see such happiness, after…

Sighing, she set the mug down. She really should be doing something. Her mother was probably worried sick, and she hadn't called Prof. Oak in a while. But what could she say? What would she want to say? Resting her head back against the wall, Amy struggled with her feelings of uncertainty, unsure of what to do, of what to feel, caught in a bitter darkness she didn't like. She was scared, she was tired, she felt sick and sore and she wanted to leave Lavender Town and never come back.

Most of all, she really just wished she were home.

"Wartortle!"

Ryan's cry drew her attention; glancing up over her glass of tea, she watched as her friend played with the children. One of the young ones was riding on his shoulders, cheering and laughing. Nearby, Suzanne was sitting, letting children pet her fur, and nuzzle her. She seemed pleased with the attention. Outside, Henry was playing chase with the kids and a few other Pokémon, while Darling crawled along one child's arm.

She was glad they were happy, at least.

"I kept them from following you up the stairs." Mewtwo moved to stand beside her, leaning against the wall. His body jutted out strangely, once again made to look odd given his actual proportions. "I did not think you would want them to see you like that."

"Thanks." She muttered. The reminder of what had happened was a bitter taste in her throat. Just thinking that she'd been – possessed – felt so wrong. She felt violated. Even knowing what had happened to Marowak, feeling sorry for her… it still felt so wrong.

"For my part, I am sorry." Mewtwo began, stiffly. He glanced down. "I should have shielded you from the creature better. I apologize."

She shook her head. "Not your fault." He'd been the one willingly following her into danger, fighting in the dark. She'd almost gotten him badly hurt. What if he'd been the one possessed? She wouldn't have been able to help him fight it off.

"Still, I feel I should have done more. I am sorry."

A little smile came to her face. "Well, I know your name now. Consider us even."

He chuckled at that.

The two of them stood in silence for a while, watching the children and Pokémon together. "You will leave in the morning?" He asked, eventually.

"Yeah." She nodded. "Sabrina and I are going to try to get into Saffron. We think Team Rocket's up to something there." Looking up to him, Amy asked, "Want to tag along?"

Something flashed in his eyes, and his gaze went wide. He stiffened, glancing away. It was only for a moment, but in that brief instant, Amy caught the emotion that came over him:

Sheer terror.

"No, I … have someplace I must be." Mewtwo insisted weakly. It wasn't a good excuse.

"Okay." Amy said, looking away. She took another sip of tea. When she looked up again, he was gone.

One mystery solved, and suddenly another took its place. Mewtwo was terrified of something… of something in Saffron City… But what? Amy wondered. And why?

And what did any of this have to do with Team Rocket?

* * *

In the morning, Mr. Fuji escorted Sabrina and Amy to the edge of town.

"I wanted to thank you again for your help," He said as they approached the route out of town. "I don't know what we would have done without you."

"It was nothing , sir." Amy insisted, turning to face him. "I'm glad I could do something."

"Still, it would please me if you would take this." The man revealed a long wooden box, holding it out towards Amy with both hands. "I think it will be of use on your journey."

Amy took it reverently. As she did, Ryan leaned up on tip-toe, trying to get a better look at it. Darling scooted down her arm as she opened the lid, revealing a flute inside.

"A Pokeflute." Sabrina began. Amy glanced towards her. "For waking sleeping Pokemon."

"Wow, thank you!" Grinning, Amy closed the box, clutching it to her chest. "This is a wonderful gift. But are you sure you - ?"

"Take it!" Mr. Fuji insisted. "And remember, you are always welcome here."

Those last words sent a shiver running through her. Oh no, she thought, glancing past him to the foggy path, the thin trees winding towards the dark sky, the Pokémon Tower in the far distance… she did not feel welcome here. And she did not think she was ever coming back.


	8. Route 8 to Saffron City

"Here it is."

It was the same non-descript building that stood outside the entrance to Saffron City on other Routes. Yet, something about it was ominous, intimidating. Or perhaps that was just Amy's impression, given what she and Sabrina had come to do.

They were getting into that town, somehow. As for what would be on the other side…

Amy hoped it was some kind of false alarm. Maybe this was nothing. Somehow, she doubted it.

She and Sabrina stood before the entrance, Amy's Pokémon gathered behind them. "So, what do you think? Force our way in?" Other than the one security guard, there wasn't much in the way of entry. It seemed simple enough to just walk past him.

"No, somehow I doubt it would be that easy." Sabrina told her.

"I had a feeling you would say that."

But she was right; if Team Rocket was behind this, surely there was more to this than just one security guard…

Sabrina's eyes glanced upward, and she smiled. "Come," She moved to the side of the building, towards the wall. She put her hands together, kneeling on one knee, and gestured for Amy to come to her. Understanding, Amy put her foot on the woman's hands, and reached for the roof's edge as Sabrina pushed her up. With some work, she managed to crawl up onto the top. Then, she turned, back to Sabrina. The woman was holding Ryan, who reached happily for his trainer. He stumbled a bit as he stood on the roof, but managed to catch himself.

Suzanne leapt up onto it on her own, and though Henry tried to do the same, he had little luck. Sabrina eventually had to lift him as well, and Darling rode up on her shoulder as Amy pulled her up.

"I will be very glad when I can use my powers again." The psychic huffed as she stood up, brushing herself off.

"Hey, at least we're here. Soon enough we'll figure this all out and fix it." Amy tried to put some pep into her smile, but she was nervous. Very nervous. She watched as Sabrina turned her head, and the woman's usually inexpressive face turned to awe, even joy.

Amy followed her gaze, to the skyline of Saffron City.

Under the afternoon sun the city almost seemed to gleam like gold, the light reflecting off the endless skyscrapers jutting into the sky. They were huge, scattered throughout the city, glittering above the world. Amy had never seen anything so big. It almost hurt to look at them, they were so bright, but it was too beautiful to look away.

"Welcome to my home," Sabrina said with reverence. "Saffron City."

* * *

It turned out Sabrina was right; if they had simply walked through the building, two Rocket guards armed with guns would have stood in their way. As it was, the two were able to surprise and disarm them from above, before taking off and disappearing into the city.

It was as bad as they had feared. Team Rocket was everywhere. There was no police force as far as they could tell; the police headquarters had been ransacked and taken over by Rockets. Amy feared for their fates, but there was nothing they could do. The city streets were almost empty. Few people dared to walk about while the Rockets patrolled, and they were everywhere. Every street, every building, had guards outside and around it. The Rockets were out in full force.

"Whatever they want here, they must want it bad," Sabrina muttered as they walked along. "They aren't even trying to hide."

"What could be so important to risk such exposure?" Amy asked her quietly.

"More importantly," Sabrina wondered. "How did they manage all this unimpeded?"

A thought occurred to the other trainer. "Do you think it's a coincidence this all happened while you were away?"

Sabrina's eyes widened and she met Amy's gaze. "No," She said firmly. "I do not."

The two of them came to the Pokémon Center, only to find it was under lock down. Rockets stood at the doors, barring passage, only allowing certain people to enter, or a certain amount at a time. "They're trying to limit trainer's ability to stand up to them." Sabrina told Amy. "If there are only a few well rested and strong trainers capable of fighting at a time, they can't join forces and fight back."

"Cowards," Amy spat. They moved on, unwillingly to linger and draw attention.

"Halt!"

Amy flinched; spinning round, she saw four Rockets advancing on them. Her eyes darted to the weapons in their hands, and she couldn't stop a shiver.

"You know the rules!" One of them barked. "No Pokémon outside their poke balls!"

Shit. "But I – I don't have –" Clenching her fists, Amy replied, "I don't have Poke balls."

"What, you mean these are wild?" A rocket laughed, approaching them. "Maybe I'll take 'em. I could use a fire type." He started to lean down towards Suzanne, a sly grin on his face.

"What? No!" Amy made to run forward, only to have a Rocket step in front of her.

"Watch it, if you know what's good for you." The Rocket sneered.

"Flareon!" A burst of flame roared to life behind the man, and an ungodly screech followed. Everyone spun round in shock and disbelief. When the fire cleared, the rocket who'd spoken of taking Suzanne was on the ground, writhing in agony, his clothes aflame and his skin blistering. Amy's heart leapt into her throat, bile rising with it, and she stood in mute shock until a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled.

"Come on!" Sabrina started running, and once Amy snapped out of it she followed her lead. The Pokémon were on their tails, and so were the Rockets. The thunderous echo of gun fire came after, and Amy could only duck her head and pray to all the Gods that they would be alright.

They turned down an alleyway, and kept moving, taking a right through a line of houses. Amy followed Sabrina's lead, trusting her to know her city. But then, the two of them were taken by surprise when the door to one of the house's opened, and a woman stepped out.

"In here!" She called. "Quickly!"

They wasted no time. All of them darted up the steps and into the house, and when the door slammed shut behind them, Amy visibly relaxed in relief.

"Thank you," Sabrina turned to the woman. The stranger was at the window, glancing out through the curtains.

"Look, mom!" Amy spun round. A little girl stood at the bottom of a staircase, staring at Sabrina in disbelief. "It's the gym leader!"

"Don't say that too loudly," A man nearby grumbled. He stood, approaching the two of them. "Bound to cause trouble. Name's Alex. This is my wife, Maria, and our daughter, Sarah."

"I am Sabrina, as I am sure you knew." The woman replied, shaking his hand. "This is my associate, Amy. Thank you for sheltering us."

"Not a problem." Maria said, turning from the window. "I'm just thrilled to know you're still alive."

Amy's eyes went wide. She turned to Sabrina, who had gone pale. "Why? Has something happened to the gym?"

"You don't know?" When Sabrina shook her head, Maria's expression went dark. "The Rockets torched it. I think most of the trainers got away, but who knows where they are now. They attacked the Dojo too. Those were the first to go, after the Police Station."

"How did this happen?" Sabrina's usually calm voice was taut and tense, eyes narrowed. "How could this possibly…" Her clenched hands began to shake.

"We don't really know." Alex began softly. "A few weeks ago, the Rockets showed up. They attacked the Police Station, and most of the cops were killed or captured. Then they took the power station, cut the phone lines, internet, you name it. The gyms were next. Ever since, they've been patrolling the streets and enforcing their own brand of martial law."

"This is unreal." Amy glanced to the door, to the world outside where Team Rocket was the law. "How could they possibly get away with this?"

"They won't." Sabrina replied darkly. "I will make sure of it."

* * *

That night found Amy and Sabrina sleeping on the floor of the daughter's room. They set up their pallets in dismal silence, and Amy felt the tension seeping into her bones. Things were very bad, and she wasn't sure how they were ever going to get better.

"What are we going to do?" Amy finally muttered. She was turned away from Sabrina but still heard her sigh.

"We have to find out what the Rockets want here." She replied. "Then, we stop them. Whatever it is, allowing them to obtain it can't possibly be good."

Amy agreed there. The problem was, how to do that? They were outnumbered and surrounded, with no idea of what to do, or where to go… no help was coming, it was all on them. Amy gulped.

But as she lay down, she thought about their dilemma, really thought, and came to the only conclusion she could see.

"We have to get one of those guys alone." She told Sabrina. "By themselves, they aren't anywhere near as brave as they are in a crowd."

"Agreed." The other replied. "The question is, how?"

Suddenly, Amy had an idea.

* * *

Another day, another boring patrol. Proton cussed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He was with four others, complete imbeciles, and he was already tired of them. When would this damnable mission from hell end?

As he was grumbling to himself, something caught his eye. Hesitating, Proton turned. Was that -? There was a Flareon just sitting there in the middle of the road! Grooming itself! Shocked, Proton turned. His teammates were still walking. They hadn't noticed it. He grinned to himself, turning back to the creature. Quietly, he crept away from his team.

He came closer to it, and it turned and darted down an alleyway. Cursing, Proton broke into a run after it –

And tripped over a wire, falling and hitting his head hard. Still, he was awake, even though the world was spinning… but when he lifted his head, he saw a blue fist coming for him – and that time, he did black out.

* * *

Amy couldn't suppress a giggle as she and Sabrina set up their "guest" comfortably. That drew the other's gaze. She lifted an eyebrow questioningly, and Amy laughed again.

"Sorry, I just – this all feels so clandestine. Like we're spies, or superheroes or something!"

As serious as the situation was, she was finding some small joy in it. They had succeeded! They had actually managed to trick a Rocket into going off on his own, and knocked him out. Then, it had only been a matter of dragging him into the house, and tying him up before he could reawaken. Bound and gagged in the basement, the Rocket was at their mercy. Success!

Sabrina smiled at her enthusiasm, but her outlook was darker. "I'm afraid these proceedings won't be so pleasant."

"Oh… I know." Her look fading, Amy stepped back, crossing her arms. "It was – just a thought." She'd had plenty of those fantasies as a kid, who hadn't? Dreams of being a hero, saving the world, being someone others looked up to. Though, she had to admit, admirable actions didn't usually including tying a man to a chair in someone's basement.

"He's awakening."

Sure enough, Sabrina was right; the Rocket was lifting his head, groggily blinking his eyes. Once his vision cleared and he set eyes on them, his gaze widened.

"Good morning," Sabrina said with a smirk, before tearing his gag off. "Feeling well?"

"Fuck you."

"To the pleasantries already." Glancing at Amy, Sabrina's look became smug. "Well, then. Shall I jump right to the threats, or would you like to talk?"

"I have nothing to say to you."

Amy stood back, watching the two, thoughts and feelings at war. The truth was, she was angry. Enraged, even. Part of her had to wonder how much of that anger was her own – and how much was leftover from… but whoever's anger it was, it was there. Just looking at the Rocket made her so irrationally enraged, she could barely restrain the impulse to tear him to pieces. Remembering everything she'd seen, what had happened in Lavender and Celadon…

But, she was plenty nervous, too. What was she supposed to do here? How were they going to get this guy to talk? She was just a Pokemon trainer, what did she know about interrogations?_ I hope Sabrina's up to this._

"Here's the deal," The psychic began, on cue. She was sitting in a chair opposite the Rocket, glaring at him. "Either you answer my questions willingly, or I'll simply probe your mind for them. Trust me when I say the first experience will be much more pleasant for you."

"Ha!" He laughed, though his voice was tense. "You can't. The barrier suppresses all psychic activity."

"Suppresses, not erases." Sabrina insisted. "I have enough power to get what I want, and leave you drooling in a bucket for the rest of your life."

At that he visibly stiffened, and went pale. "F – Fine. It's not like you can stop us anyway! We're too close. And what would the two of you do?" He scoffed.

"Just talk. How did the Rockets get into the city?"

Amy stayed where she was, content to let Sabrina work, but she listened and watched with narrowed eyes.

"It was easy. We've been planning this for months! Planting people in all the right places, learning the system. The problem was you." He sneered at the gym leader. "You were too powerful, too great a risk. We had to arrange it so you wouldn't be around for a while."

Sabrina's eyes went wide at that. She turned back to Amy. "I left Saffron for a medical emergency in my family. My mother was in a near-fatal car crash."

Amy's eyes went wide. "Then, that means…"

"All engineered." The man grinned as if he were proud. "The Boss thought of everything."

An image flashed through the trainer's mind, of the tall imposing figure, dressed in black. Her chest tightened, throat clenching tight as if the mere thought of him made her ill.

"So when the time came, our plants took care of everything. Cut the alarms, let us in, and we took care of the rest. Cops weren't so hard. They didn't expect us to walk right in and take them on. Everything else after that was cake."

"Why?" Voice hard as iron, Sabrina leaned towards the man and set upon him a look that could practically melt with its intensity. "What purpose is there to all this?"

Clearly affected, the man fidgeted in place. "W – We… the boss wants something. We had to take the city to secure it, and make sure he had a chance to get it. No cops, no trainers, no one to interfere."

"Seems like a big risk, so much exposure, for so long." Amy couldn't help but chime in.

He frowned at that. "It wasn't supposed to take this long." He admitted. "It was supposed to be quick grab. The locals have proved to be more annoying than we thought."

At that, Sabrina smirked. "You still haven't said what Team Rocket wants."

"And I'm not going to. Go ahead and fry my brain, psychic, you won't get any more from me."

Friend turned to friend; eyebrow raised, Sabrina stood, and they approached one another.

"What do you think?" The younger woman whispered. "Can you do it?"

"Possibly." Sabrina replied. "But… he is right. With the barrier in place, my powers are strictly limited. It will take a great deal more effort on my part to do so."

"Perhaps I can be of assistance."

Amy's eyes went wide. Spinning round, they both turned to the stairwell. There, standing in the entryway to the basement, was a tall man in what appeared to be a black trenchcoat.

"Me –" She caught herself before she let the word slip, and noticed how his eyes went wide in recognition of that fact. "Melvin!"

"I thought you said his name was Frodo."

Amy turned to Sabrina, unable to keep from giggling. "Just a silly nickname I gave him."

"My real name is…" The other was forced to say as he descended the stairs. He leveled Amy with an exasperated look, but it didn't bring her down. She was beaming, grinning ear to ear. "Melvin."

Of course, it was truly Mewtwo, in his human disguise, wearing new clothes since they'd last seen one another in Lavender Town. The day he'd simply vanished, in the middle of a conversation, and Amy hadn't been sure if she'd ever see him again, or when. The only times they'd ever met, she had sought him out, or found him. He'd never come looking for her.

And the thought honestly thrilled her, that he had gone out of his way to find her here. Amy didn't have too many friends to her name, and of all of them, Mewtwo was undoubtedly the most fun, and fascinating. She wanted to know him better, but he was as easy to talk to as a hunk of bricks.

Almost as if he heard the thought, he glanced askance at her, an eyebrow cocked. Then he returned to talking to Sabrina. The two of them approached the Rocket together, clearly with some plan in mind as to how to magic their way into his brain.

The woman winced as they got to work. It didn't look – painful, necessarily, but certainly not comfortable. The Rocket fidgeted and groaned the whole time, eyes rolling into the back of his head. But then, he was a Rocket. _Couldn't have happened to a nicer person_. She thought with a smirk.

When they were done, the two opened their eyes, and lifted their heads almost in synch. It was a little eerie. Clearly by the looks on their faces they were having a conversation without her. "Hello?" Amy waved her hand between them. "Care to let the non-psychic into the party?"

"Sorry, it was – a lot to digest." Sabrina replied.

"Find anything?"

"Plenty, and none of it good." Mewtwo grumbled, turning to storm away, towards the corner. He always had to be so moody.

"We know where they are, but not what they're after." The woman sighed, hands on their hips. "The Rockets have invaded a Silph Co."

Amy blinked. "Um. Should I know who they are?"

"They're a rather famous software developer." Mewtwo answered, turning round. "Pokemon transfer systems, capture devices, and Pokedexes are designed and developed there."

Amy tried to fight the flush rising to her face. "I, uh, didn't know that." She always figured Prof Oak had created the Pokedex by himself.

"Whatever they're after, it's in that building, and that's not the worst of it." Sighing, Sabrina crossed her arms. "Their boss is arriving tonight."

Amy's head shot up. "At Silph Co?" She nodded. "Well, we have to stop him! Whatever it is they're after, it can't be good." Chuckles of laughter interrupted them, and all three turned to see the Rocket Grunt grinning. Mewtwo sneered at him and with a wave of his hand, the man fell unconscious.

"Something must be done, I agree." He replied. "But as for what, I'm not certain."

For a moment, the woman remained quiet, head reeling. A clear picture was coming to life in her mind, but… she was nervous. Unsure. It felt right, but she still doubted herself. Clenching her fists, she finally said, "Seems obvious to me. We get it before he does."

"How?" Sabrina cocked an eyebrow. "He has a head start, not to mention a veritable army of men."

"Well, we've got to try!" She insisted. "If we don't, he wins anyway!" The Rocket Leader's dark eyes flashed in front of her, his dispassionate look, the coldness of him… she grimaced. "Maybe the army is where they went wrong. Maybe you just need one person."

Mewtwo's head spun to her. "What are you suggesting?"

"I'll sneak in." She said. Hardly believing her own ears even as she said it, she continued. "If the Rockets are caught up in fighting Silph Co, then I can use the chaos to my advantage."

"That's suicide!" Sabrina scowled. "We don't know what it is, or where it is, or what you'll find when you enter the building!"

"They've got to have blueprints online, right?"

"The internet is down. They cut the connection."

"So, we put it back up." Amy shrugged. "And we can use the Psychic Hot Line to stay in touch."

"You say it all like it will be so easy." Mewtwo grumbled, crossing his arms.

"It won't." Amy admitted. "But it's all we've got."

The room fell quiet. Sabrina's gaze fell to the floor, and she bit at her lip. "This is my city." She began. "I will do anything to defend it. But neither of you owe any allegiance to me, or to Saffron. You don't have to do this."

"I can't just sit by and let them get away with this." The other trainer replied. "They've hurt enough people, and if they aren't stopped, they'll just keep doing it. No way. I'm in."

"I have a – vested interest, in stopping Team Rocket." Mewtwo told them. "I am willing to try."

The gym leader glanced from one, then to the other. "Alright then." She said, tone darkened with finality. "Let's begin."

* * *

"Relax." Mewtwo said for the third time. "Clear your mind."

_Right_, Amy thought_. Because that's so easy. I obviously have nothing on my mind right now._

Fidgeting, the woman gave a sigh and closed her eyes again. They'd tried this already and it hadn't worked, but it had too, because otherwise the mission wouldn't work. With the barrier in place, Sabrina and Mewtwo were having a hard time using their powers. The easiest way to be sure they could communicate psychically was to do some kinda mumbo-jumbo "opening the mind", which would directly link Amy to Mewtwo. Only, it wasn't working so well.

A sigh alerted Amy to the fact that, once again, she was failing. She opened her eyes to see a tired stare. "What? I'm trying!"

"Not enough."

"What do you want me to do? I don't know all this psychic stuff." She didn't know anything really. Who was she, after all? Just a Pokemon trainer from Pallet Town!

What had she gotten herself into?

A frission of fear leapt up her spine, and for the first time, it really hit Amy: she was about to go head on into a building full of dangerous criminals, all willing and able to hurt or even kill her to complete their objective. She was ridiculously outmatched and outnumbered, and she was – she was –

'_Calm yourself_.'

Suddenly she realized she was gasping for breath. Wide-eyed, Amy met Mewtwo's stare. They were sitting on the floor of the basement, only a few feet away from the unconscious Rocket. Mewtwo had shed his human disguise. Sabrina was gone, off to find the power plant. Restoring power would be too dangerous, and draw attention. But she could use the power in the plant itself to connect to the internet there, and speak to them through the link with Mewtwo.

If only Amy could complete the circuit.

"I'm sorry," She rasped, "I'm just – a little nervous about all this."

"Understandably." The Pokémon almost smiled. "What you are doing is very brave."

"I don't feel brave." Amy muttered. Her gaze fell to the floor, half lidded. She gripped her thighs tight enough to hurt. "I feel like an idiot. What am I thinking, doing all this? What am I doing?" She was just a trainer from the middle of nowhere, a nobody with nothing going for her, no future, no father – "I'm sorry!" She muttered again, when she realized that Mewtwo was probably getting her angst full blast in his brain.

"Why do you doubt yourself so?" He seemed genuinely confused, brow furrowed in thought. She met his eyes. Her own gaze was turning watery.

"When I went into that base in Celadon City…" She began. "I felt – powerful. Ryan and the rest of the team and I, we took down every trainer there. Every one that came after us. And then – all it took was a guy with a gun to stop us. That was the end. It was all so foolish, so foolish. All my 'power' was a sham."

"And to top it off, I – I fought the Boss Rocket and I lost so badly. We were creamed, and Darling, he – " _He almost died._ A hand rushed to her mouth as she choked back a sob. "What am I thinking? What if I have to fight him again? What if I lose?"

A hand came to Amy's shoulder, pressing gently. When the girl looked up, she realized Mewtwo was much closer. Their knees were touching, where they sat cross legged on the floor. "Would you show me the battle you had with the Boss?"

Amy gave a slow nod. "I uh, yeah. If I can." Her mind felt like a thunderstorm, all rage and pain. But she closed her eyes anyway, and tried to focus. She remembered the building, the rush of excitement, the satisfaction… and the slow tumble into terror, as it became very clear she was far out of her league. Ryan fighting the enormous Onix, Henry evolving during the fight with the Rhyhorn, Darling almost getting killed by that Persian with the vicious eyes…

When she opened her eyes, tears did fall down her face. "You see?" She muttered. "I'm not the one for this. I'm not that great a trainer. I can't even catch Pokémon, they just sort've follow me around. I don't like battling. I only have a few badges, I'm not – I'm not cut out for this. Maybe, maybe somebody like Gary Oak, or something, but not me."

For a moment, Mewtwo remained silent. Their eyes remained locked together. His gaze was intense, almost dark, eyes narrowed in thought. Amy fidgeted under the potency of that stare.

"Tell me," He began finally, voice quiet. "How long do you think the Boss has been a trainer?"

Confused by the seemingly random question, Amy shrugged. "I – I don't know. A few years?"

"Try decades." Mewtwo said with a chuckle. "Giovanni Rockette has been a Pokémon Trainer for more than forty years. And how long have you been training?"

She shrugged. "A few months?"

"And yet, despite the enormous disparity between your experiences, despite the high level differences in your Pokémon, you came amazingly close to defeating him."

Self-conscious, she fidgeted some more. "So? I didn't win."

"You are a novice, Amy. But one with great potential. In a few short months, your Pokémon have come to believe in you so strongly, and trust you so much, that they pushed themselves beyond their limits and defeated those with greater strength and experience. Consider where you'll be forty years from now. Consider the power you and your team will have then."

She tried to. She couldn't really imagine where she'd be in life, what she might be doing. Could she ever really be that powerful? Yet… he had a point… "He could've been going easy on me."

"Giovanni does not go easy." Mewtwo snorted. "You only lost, because you love your Pokémon too much to risk their lives. If you had pushed Ryan and Henry on, they might have won. But their safety was more important to you than victory, and that is why you are the better trainer." Amy's glanced away, but eventually she was pulled back to his stare. His eyes were warm now, and just as strong. "I promise you, one day you will beat him."

She wasn't completely convinced; but looking into those eyes, she could almost believe it.


End file.
